Assessing the Application of Alternative Fuels in Vehicle Fleets
By
Ajaleigh Williams
A Thesis
Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of
Master of Natural Resources Management
Natural Resources Institute
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba
© August, 2004
THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA
FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES
*****
COPYRIGHT PERMISSION
Assessing the Application of Alternative Fuels in Vehicle Fleets
By
Ajaleigh Williams
A Thesis/Practicum submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of
Manitoba in partial fulfillment of the requirement of the degree
Of Master of Natural Resources Management
(c) 2004
Permission has been granted to the Library of the University of Manitoba to lend or sell
copies of this thesis/practicum, to the National Library of Canada to microfilm this thesis
and to lend or sell copies of the film, and to University Microfilms Inc. to publish an
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This reproduction or copy of this thesis has been made available by authority of the
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ABSTRACT
The current fuels of choice in the transportation sector are conventional fuels, such as
gasoline and diesel. However, conventional fuel sources are a finite fuel supply and the
use of conventional fuels has negative impacts on the environment and human health.
There are a number of cleaner burning alternative fuels that can be used in place of
conventional fuels, some of which are also a renewable.
Early adopters of alternative fuels are often companies and organizations that have a
large fleet of vehicles. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to develop an
understanding of what vehicle fleet operators see as motivators and deterrents to using
alternative fuels. The specific objectives of the research were to; identify the government
alternative fuel policies in place in Manitoba; identify the current usage of alternative
fuels in vehicle fleets; identify factors that need to be considered when using alternative
fuels in vehicle fleets; and, establish the importance that fleet operators place on those
factors.
The types of methods employed to achieve the research objectives included conducting
detailed reviews of publications on government alternative fuel policies in Manitoba and
reviews of publications on the use of alternative fuels in vehicle fleets in other regions.
Following that a survey was distributed to vehicle fleets in Winnipeg to gain insight into
Winnipeg fleet operator’s perspectives on the use of alternative fuels in their fleets. The
research focused on alternative fuels that were readily available and technically feasible
i
in the region, including ethanol, biodiesel, electricity (gas/electric hybrids), natural gas
and propane.
The study results indicated that there is minimal use of alternative fuels in Winnipeg for
the vehicle fleets surveyed, with government fleet operators using alternative fuels more
often than industry fleet operators. The minimal use of alternative fuels can be attributed
to the fact that there are limited alternative fuel retail refueling stations in the region,
limited availability of vehicles for some types of alternative fuels, and limited access to
information on alternative fuels.
Ethanol was the fuel of choice among respondents, as it is the most widely available
alternative fuels source at local retail stations. Propane and hybrid electric vehicles are
also used in the region, which is not surprising since propane used to be the number one
alternative fuel in Canada and the electric gas hybrid vehicle market is currently
expanding throughout Canada.
Based on the study findings, there are many factors that motivate fleet operators to adopt
alternative fuels. Results indicated that government and industry fleet operators hold
differences of opinions as to what motivates them to use alternative fuels. With the
exception of the municipal fleet, who felt that fuel consumption being equivalent to gas
or diesel is a top motivator to using alternative fuels, government fleet operators are
generally more motivated to use alternative fuels because of social reasons, such as the
environment, human health and government regulations, whereas industry fleet operators
ii
are more motivated to use alterative fuels if fuel consumption and fuel cost are equivalent
to gas or diesel and economic incentives are provided.
The study also established that there are a number of factors that deter fleet operators
from using alternative fuels. Unlike with factors that motivate fleet operators to use
alternative fuels, there is not a direct link between deterrents and type of fleet. This is
largely because fleet operational needs are diverse. For example, trucking companies and
messengers and couriers both operate large vehicle fleets, but have differences of
opinions when it comes to what deters them from using alternative fuels.
Overall, the research illustrates that effectively implementing the use of alternative fuels
in vehicle fleets is a complex undertaking, where a number of specific factors need to be
addressed. The study results is an information set that can help decision makers and
promoters of alternative fuels increase the use of alternative fuels in vehicle fleets,
building capacity for expansion into the consumer vehicle market in the future.
iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The support and encouragement from family, friends, academic colleagues and work
associates have greatly facilitated the development of this thesis.
I would first like to thank my thesis advisor, Dr. John Sinclair, for all of his hard work in
reviewing this thesis throughout its many phases, and for providing guidance throughout
the thesis process. I would also like to thank my thesis committee, Professor Alan
Clayton, Professor Thomas Henley and Dan Daly for their time and input provided
toward this thesis.
I would especially like to thank Rozzie, who has been a wonderful mother throughout the
years, and an exceptional support during the last three years of writing this thesis. I
would also like to thank my grandfather for encouraging me to apply for my masters’
degree in the beginning, and thank my grandmother for supplying me with countless
newspaper clippings on my topic area.
My brothers also deserve a great big thank you just for being there; I love it that we all
get along so well and I couldn’t have asked for better brothers. To my Dad, I would like
to say thank you for being the first to introduce me to the field of new vehicle
technologies and alternative fuels, it certainly is a fascinating area to work in. And to my
friends I would like to say that I will now be able to see all of you again, and I am so
grateful that you were here to support me throughout the years.
iv
I am also grateful for the opportunity to be working in the field of alternative fuels and
would like to acknowledge Andrew Cowan for providing me with my first work related
experience in the alternative fuel sector and for providing me with wise words of advice
from his days as a masters’ student. And finally, I would like to thank Yvan Lupien for
continually helping me to progress professionally, and especially for being so
understanding of the need for me to take time off of work over the last few years to
concentrate on thesis efforts.
I would also like to acknowledge the City of Winnipeg and the Province of Manitoba,
through Manitoba Conservation’s Sustainable Development Innovations Fund, for
providing funding to pursue this research.
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF FIGURES
1.0 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background ................................................................................................................ 1
1.2 Purpose and Objectives.............................................................................................. 4
1.3 Research Orientation.................................................................................................. 5
1.4 Research Limitation ................................................................................................... 6
1.5 Organization............................................................................................................... 7
2.0 ALTERNATIVE FUELS- UTILITY, IMPLEMENTATION AND USE .......... 8
2.1 Overview of conventional and alternative fuels ........................................................ 8
2.2 Fleet operator considerations ................................................................................... 13
2.2.1 Cost .......................................................................................................................... 14
2.2.2 Infrastructure........................................................................................................... 15
2.2.3 Fuel and Vehicle Characteristics ............................................................................ 18
2.2.4 Other Factors........................................................................................................... 21
2.3 Alternative Fuel Policies in Manitoba .................................................................... 22
2.3.1 Provincial Government Policies on Alternative Fuels........................................... 22
2.3.2 Municipal Government Policies Relating to Alternative Fuels ............................. 26
2.4
Chapter Summary .................................................................................................. 28
3.0
RESEARCH APPROACH.................................................................................. 31
3.1
Literature Review................................................................................................... 33
3.2
Policy Document Review ...................................................................................... 33
3.3 Fleet Document Review......................................................................................... 33
3.4
Case Study – Survey Distribution.......................................................................... 34
3.41 Sample Population ................................................................................................. 35
3.42 Survey Purpose ...................................................................................................... 38
3.43 Survey approach..................................................................................................... 40
3.44 Survey Analysis ..................................................................................................... 40
3.5 Conclusions and Discussions................................................................................. 41
4.0
ALTERNATIVE FUEL USE IN VEHICLE FLEETS IN WINNIPEG, MB. 43
4.1 Survey response rate .............................................................................................. 43
4.2
Profile of fleets surveyed ....................................................................................... 44
4.21 Messengers and Couriers ....................................................................................... 44
4.2.2 Trucking................................................................................................................. 45
4.2.3 Government- Municipal and Provincial................................................................. 46
4.3 Fleet Size................................................................................................................ 48
vi
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.6.1
4.6.2
4.6.3
4.6.4
4.6.5
4.7
4.7.1
4.7.2
4.7.3
4.7.4
4.7.5
4.8
5.0
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
Use of alternative fuels in fleets............................................................................. 49
Access to current information on alternative fuels ................................................ 50
Motivators- What motivates fleets to use alternative fuels?.................................. 51
Messenger and Couriers......................................................................................... 53
Trucking................................................................................................................. 54
Municipal ............................................................................................................... 55
Provincial ............................................................................................................... 56
Other Motivators.................................................................................................... 57
Deterrents- What deters fleets from using alternative fuels?................................ 58
Messenger and Courier ......................................................................................... 60
Trucking................................................................................................................ 61
Municipal .............................................................................................................. 62
Provincial .............................................................................................................. 63
Other Deterrents.................................................................................................... 64
Summary of Survey Results and General Discussion........................................... 66
CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSIONS............................................................ 69
Introduction........................................................................................................... 69
Alternative Fuel Policies....................................................................................... 70
Alternative Fuel Usage in Vehicle Fleets ............................................................. 71
Factors to Consider When Implementing Alternative Fuels in Vehicle Fleets .... 78
Further Research ................................................................................................... 81
Concluding Remarks............................................................................................. 84
REFERENCES
APPENDIX A- BACKGROUND ON ALTERNATIVE FUELS
APPENDIX B- SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
vii
LIST OF TABLES
Page
Table 1:
Vehicle Emissions, the Environment and Human Health
10
viii
LIST OF FIGURES
Page
Figure 1:
Research Approach
33
Figure 2:
Proportion of Fleets Using Alternative Fuels
49
Figure 3:
Proportion of Fleets Using Alternative Fuels vs.
Access to Information on Alternative Fuels
51
Figure 4:
Top 3 motivators to Using Alternative Fuels
(Messenger and Couriers)
53
Figure 5:
Top 3 motivators to Using Alternative Fuels (Trucking)
54
Figure 6:
Top 3 motivators to Using Alternative Fuels (Municipal)
55
Figure 7:
Top 3 motivators to Using Alternative Fuels (Provincial)
56
Figure 8:
Top 3 Deterrents to Using Alternative Fuels
(Messenger and Courier)
60
Figure 9:
Top 3 Deterrents to Using Alternative Fuels (Trucking)
61
Figure 10:
Top 3 Deterrents to Using Alternative Fuels (Municipal)
62
Figure 11:
Top 3 Deterrents to Using Alternative Fuels (Provincial)
63
ix
CHAPTER 1
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background
In Canada there are over 17 million vehicles on the road, and each year 1.9 million motor
vehicles are added to the vehicle population (Environment Canada, 1998). If the
Canadian vehicle absorption level remained the same, there would be more vehicles on
the road in 10 years than there are people in Canada as of 2004. The majority of motor
vehicles are fueled by conventional fuels, such as gasoline and diesel. From their
extraction to their end use, conventional fuels cause the emission of pollution that has
many negative impacts on human health and the environment.
Canadian studies attribute 5000 deaths per year to air pollution, and Ontario alone spends
$1 billion dollars per year on hospital admissions, emergency room visits and
absenteeism resulting from increased air pollution (Caucus Working Group on
Environmental Technologies, 2002). Asthma rates are reported to be increasing due to
the increased release of diesel fuel particulates that settle deep into human lungs
(Mitchell, 2004). Vehicle emissions also contribute to climate change, smog, acid rain,
stratospheric ozone depletion and increase the release of toxic pollutants into the air.
For all practical purposes, conventional fuels are a finite source of energy. Estimates on
the volume of world’s supply of oil vary greatly depending on the types of assumptions
made during the compiling of the estimate. Most sources claim that there are
1
approximately 40 years left in the world’s known oil reserves based on current demand
(BP, 2003; Rifkin, 2002; Ogden, 2002; Bolger and Isaacs, 2003). Over time, prices for
conventional fuels will rise as the source becomes less abundant and the transportation
sector may see a dramatic shift away from the use of conventional fuels when it is no
longer economical to use them.
Alternative transportation fuels are used in place of conventional fuel sources to
accomplish a number of positive outcomes including: reducing environmental impacts
from the transportation sector, increasing quality of life from a human health perspective,
providing energy security by diversifying into renewable energy sources, increasing
economic development in a region and supporting political policies on air pollution.
Ethanol, biodiesel, electricity, propane, natural gas, hydrogen and methanol are all listed
as alternative transportation fuels in the Canadian Federal Government’s Alternative
Fuels Act (President of the Treasury Board, 2001). The Act also recognizes hybrid gas
electric vehicle technologies as means to reduce vehicular emissions. The U.S.
Department of Energy also categorizes these fuels as alternative fuels (U.S. Department
of Energy, 2002a). Each alternative fuel comes from different resources, have different
production processes and require different types of infrastructure to store and use the fuel.
Ethanol, biodiesel and hydrogen are renewable fuels, whereas fuels like natural gas and
propane are not.
2
In Canada, the use and availability of alternative fuels is not widespread compared to the
use of conventional fuels. Alternative fuels that are most commonly used in Canada are
natural gas and propane. Both currently have some infrastructure in place for their use,
but vehicle availability is currently decreasing for both fuel types as some major
automobile manufacturers are discontinuing natural gas and propane vehicles from
production lines (AltFuels Advisor, 2004). Other fuels that are used increasingly in
Canada include low level blends of ethanol and biodiesel. High level blends of ethanol
and biodiesel are currently used in limited amounts and are under investigation through
demonstrations, usually involving government agencies, testing the fuel source for
measures such as vehicle performance and emission reductions. Gas/electric hybrid
vehicles are being used in some vehicle fleets, while hydrogen is also being investigated
and demonstrated throughout Canada.
The federal government’s Alternative Fuel Act provides an indication of the federal
government’s support for alternative fuels. The Alternative Fuel Act requires federal
departments to make use of alternative fuel vehicles where economically and
operationally feasible to do so. As a result of the Act, the federal vehicle fleets have
increased their use of alternative fuels and the number of alternative fuel vehicles in their
pool (President of the Treasury Board, 2001). The federal government also provides
financial support for the expansion of the alternative fuel industry, through: funding to
provinces to expand ethanol production, rebate programs that offer financial incentives
to convert vehicles to natural gas, financial support to federal departments to demonstrate
alternative fuel technologies new to Canada, and through providing outreach and
3
education on alternative fuels through Natural Resources Canada Office of Energy
Efficiency (Janzen, 2004; Legault, 2003; Natural Resources Canada, 2004).
1.2
Purpose and Objectives
Before a region can implement the use of alternative fuels in the transportation sector it is
necessary to understand, from a systems analysis perspective, the various environmental,
social and economic factors that need to be considered when using these fuels. Vehicle
fleets are often the first user group targeted to switch to using alternative transportation
fuels. Gathering information on the factors that influence vehicle fleet operators’
decisions to use alternative fuels provides valuable insight into both potential motivators
and deterrents to expanding the market for these fuels. Fleet operator perspectives can be
used by promoters and marketers of alternative fuels to facilitate the growth of the
alternative fuel market.
Therefore, the purpose of this research was to assess the application of alternative fuels in
vehicle fleets in Winnipeg, Manitoba from a fleet operator perspective. The research
focused on fuels that were readily available and technically feasible in the region; these
include ethanol, natural gas, propane, electricity (gas/electric hybrids included) and
biodiesel. The research helped to clarify issues for government decision makers and
other parties interested in promoting the alternative fuel industry, so that informed
decisions can be made pertaining to the use of alternative fuels in vehicle fleets.
4
Objectives
The specific objectives of the research were to:
1. Identify the current government policy framework for alternative fuel
development in Manitoba; and
2. Identify the current usage of alternative fuels in vehicle fleets in Manitoba; and
3. Establish factors that need to be considered when implementing alternative fuels
into vehicle fleets; and
4. Assign values to the factors to assist alternative fuel decision makers in
understanding the relative importance of the factors.
1.3
Research Orientation
There were a number of researcher qualifications that facilitated the development of the
thesis including knowledge gained through work experience, knowledge of
environmental issues and participation in alternative fuel related conferences. .
Since 2002, alternative fuel knowledge, practical experience and contacts with industry
and government representatives were acquired as the coordinator for the Red River
Valley Clean Cities Coalition Winnipeg Chapter Inc. The coalition is a U.S. Department
of Energy program that supports the efforts of local coalitions to build markets for clean,
secure alternatives to conventional fuels. More than 4,700 stakeholders, including
municipal governments, state, provincial and federal agencies, public and private fleets,
fuel providers, industry associations, and vehicle manufacturers and vendors, are
5
involved in the 80 Clean Cities coalitions working to advance the use of alternative
transportation fuels and alternative fuel vehicles across North America, where Winnipeg
is the only Canadian City participating in this program.
Understanding of environmental issues was gained during the pursuit of an undergraduate
degree in Science, four year major in Environmental Science, and a Masters Degree in
Natural Resource Management. Participation and attendance at a number of conferences
was undertaken during the research process, including attendance at the Federation of
Canadian Municipalities Sustainable Communities National Conference and Trade Show
in Ottawa City, Ontario (2004); World Summit on Ethanol for Transportation in Quebec
City, Quebec (2003); Province of Manitoba Biofuels conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba
(2003); Transportation & and Climate Change in Manitoba Workshop (2003); and the
National Clean Cities Conference in Palm Springs (2003).
1.4
Research Limitation
When compared to the U.S. and Europe, Manitoba’s and Canada’s alternative fuel
industry is a relatively new market. As such, information on alternative fuels from a
Canadian perspective is not widely available. A lot of the preliminary discussion on
vehicle fleet perspectives on alternative fuels presented in the research is from U.S. or
international context. Background information on Canadian fleet perspectives comes
from Canada’s experience with natural gas, and factors from the development of that
industry may not be the same as for the development of other fuels such as biodiesel and
ethanol. Also, since the industry is relatively immature, new developments in the field
6
are always occurring. Therefore, factors that may be presented as significant factors
during this research may be overcome or may change in a relatively short time span.
1.5
Organization
The thesis is organized into five chapters. Following this chapter background
information on alternative fuels, government alternative fuel policies in Manitoba and
general fleet operator perspectives of using alternative fuels are considered in Chapter
two. Chapter three provides a comprehensive overview of the research approach
undertaken to deploy this research. Chapter four presents’ results from a survey
conducted with vehicle fleets in Winnipeg, and provides insight into what motivates or
deters fleets from using alternative fuels. Chapter five is the concluding chapter that
provides concluding statements and discussions on the use of alternative fuels in vehicle
fleets. Appendix A is an overview on alternative fuels. Appendix B is the questionnaire
that was sent to vehicle fleet operators in Winnipeg.
7
CHAPTER 2
2.0
ALTERNATIVE FUELS- UTILITY, IMPLEMENTATION AND USE
Although there are many types of alternative fuels available on the market, the
discussions in this chapter focus on fuels that are technically feasible and available in
Winnipeg, Manitoba. More discussion is given to fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel and
electric gas hybrids since they are being promoted and/or investigated in Manitoba on a
larger scale than other alternative fuels such as natural gas and propane. Fleet operator
perspectives on the types of factors that may impact the use of alternative fuels in vehicle
fleets are also discussed. Following that discussion, there is an overview on government
alternative fuel policies in place in Manitoba.
2.1
Overview of conventional and alternative fuels
Gasoline and diesel fuel used in the transportation sector are made from crude oil that is
extracted from the earth. It takes millions of years for plant matter to decompose and
produce an extractable source of oil, and as such, oil is a non renewable resource. A
large portion of the world’s oil deposits were formed more than 150 million years ago
(Rifkin, 2002). Extracting oil to produce gasoline and diesel fuel requires significant
amounts of energy, largely derived from the burning of fossil fuels. Crude oil
(petroleum) is taken out of the ground and transported to an oil refinery, where a number
of different types of fuels are produced.
8
When oil is extracted from the tar sands in Alberta, a significant amount of natural gas
and water is used to extract a useable form of oil. The processing also causes the release
of a large amount of greenhouse gases (Bolger and Isaacs, 2003). One of the other means
in which conventional fuels have an impact on the environment and human health is
through motor vehicle pollution. Motor vehicles cause the release of emissions including
gases such as Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxides, Particulate Matter,
other organic carbon compounds (such as hydrocarbons) and other toxic air pollutants
such as benzene, 1,3-butadiene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and polynuclear aromatic
hydrocarbons (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 1995).
The table on the following page lists the environmental issues associated with the release
of the vehicle emissions and provides a description of the issue, in addition to the
associated health and environmental impacts that the emission cause.
9
Table 1: Vehicle Emissions, the Environment and Human Health
Environmental
Issue
Smog
Vehicle
Emissions
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
Volatile Organic
Compounds (VOCs)
Particulate Matter (PM)
Human induced
Climate Change
Greenhouse Gases:
Carbon Dioxide (most
significant)
Description of the
Environmental Issue
A mixture of ground level
ozone, particulate matter and
other pollutants.
Environmental
and Health Impacts
Respiratory distress in
humans
Damage to vegetation
Note: Ozone is formed when
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
combines with Volatile Organic
Compounds (VOC) in sunlight.
May contribute to decline of
forests
The accumulation of heat
trapping greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere that causes the
earth’s temperature to increase.
Changes in regional weather
(more intense heat waves)
Note: Greenhouse gases are
emitted by natural sources as
well, but many scientists believe
that human activity is
significantly increasing the rate
of climate change.
More severe extreme high
temperature events (floods
and droughts)
When sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere
combine with water they form
sulphuric and nitric acids, which
travel long distances and are
precipitated back to earth as acid
rain.
Damage to vegetation
Increase in global mean sea
level
Methane
Nitrogen Oxides(NOx)
Ozone
Water Vapour
Acid Rain
CFCs
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
Stratospheric
Ozone Depletion
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s)
Methyl Bromide
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons
(HCFC’s)
Halons
Carbon Tetrachloride
The thinning of the ozone layer
due to the emissions of gases,
such as CFC’s and HFCFCs in
the atmosphere. The ozone layer
protects the earth from the sun’s
ultraviolet rays.
Toxic Air
Pollutants
Particulate matter
Polycyclic aromatic
Hydrocarbons
Benzene
Aldehydes
Toxic substances, such as
particulate matter, polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene
and aldehydes
Global changes in soil
moisture
Disrupt nutrient cycle of
ecosystems
Damage to wildlife
Human health effects (SO2
has small particulates that
affect the lungs)
Increased exposure to
ultraviolet radiation
Some are suspected
carcinogens
Source: Information for this table was compiled from the following sources (Environment Canada, 1997; Environment
Canada, 1998; National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, 1997; Neitzert, 1999; Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development, 1995).
10
There are a variety of alternative fuels and vehicle technologies that can be used to
mitigate vehicular pollution caused by conventional fuels. Alternative fuels and vehicle
technologies that are technically feasible and available to fleet operators in Winnipeg,
Manitoba include ethanol, biodiesel, electric gas hybrids, natural gas and propane. A
profile of each fuel and vehicle technology is included in Appendix A.
Alternative fuels offer environmental benefits over conventional fuels and are promoted
in Canada primarily for their ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the
transportation sector (Department of Justice Canada, 2003). Canada recently ratified the
Kyoto Protocol, which is a policy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions as a
means of curbing the impacts of climate change. Canada contributes approximately 2%
of the world’s greenhouse gases. Even though Canada only contributes 2% of the
world’s greenhouse gasses per capita, Canada is the second highest producer of
greenhouse gases among industrialized nations. Manitoba generates 3% of Canada’s
total greenhouse gas emissions, with transportation in Manitoba accounting for
approximately 30% of greenhouse gas production from industries in the province
(Manitoba Transportation and Government Services, 2004a; Manitoba Transportation
and Government Services, 2004b). It is important to actualize the actual greenhouse gas
reductions from using alternative fuels compared to conventional fuels.
The environmental benefits of alternative fuels vary depending on the fuel. One of the
ways to measure the environmental benefits is by using a life cycle analysis approach.
The life cycle approach measures all inputs and outputs used to create and use the
alternative fuel. This method measures the total costs and benefits of using alternative
11
fuels compared to conventional fuels, and can clearly identify if there is in fact an
environmental benefit to using alternative fuels over conventional fuels. This method can
identify the reduction of Carbon Dioxide and other greenhouse gases, illustrate the
energy balance of the fuel (to identify whether it takes as much energy to make the fuel
as the fuel contains) (Lang, 2001); measure the amount of resources used to make and
produce the fuel and measures the air, water and solid waste emissions generated by
using the fuel (North Dakota Soybean Council, 2002).
It is important to validate the environmental benefits of alternative fuels to ensure that
truly ‘cleaner’ fuels are being promoted in place of conventional fuels. Uncertainty
surrounding the environmental benefits of alternative fuels that are promoted in a region
can result in confusion and upset from groups that do not believe the fuels offer benefits
over conventional fuel sources. Recently in Manitoba, there was discussion surrounding
the environmental benefits of ethanol from a life cycle perspective, with critics from the
National Farmers Union claiming that producing and using ethanol causes more
environmental damage than using gasoline fuel. The claims from the National Farmers
Union were made in 2003, around the same time that the provincial government of
Manitoba established an ethanol panel to investigate the potential to expand the ethanol
industry. The Farmers Union arguments about ethanol were based on the premise that
ethanol fuel made from corn and wheat uses a large amount of water, degrades soil, and
causes air pollution because of the intensive amounts of fossil fuels that are used to
produce ethanol (Eco-Man, 2003.). A report commissioned by Natural Resources
Canada, through an independent consultant, concluded that using Manitoba wheat to
12
produce and use ethanol fuel generates 50% less greenhouse gas emission than gasoline,
and that ethanol made from Manitoba wheat produces more energy than is used to
produce it. A fuel blended with 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline (as is typical in Canada)
generates 5% fewer emissions (Falding, 2003; The Canadian Press, 2003). The
discrepancy between the National Farmer’s Union’s claims and the Natural Resources
Canada claims could be due, in part, to the use of Hydro power for electricity to run
ethanol plants in Manitoba, and not fossil fuels, so the overall greenhouse gas emissions
from ethanol made in Manitoba is lower than areas that use fossil fuel sources to operate
the ethanol plants ((S&T)2 Consultants Inc, 2003).
This type of discrepancy on the benefits of ethanol stresses the importance of ensuring
that analysis on the life cycle benefits of an alternative fuel is based on data specific to
the region to which the fuel will be used in. Every region has different life cycle balances
for ethanol depending on the type of resources used to make ethanol (e.g. corn vs. wheat)
and on other factors such as the source of the energy used to run the plant and other
processes to produce the fuel.
2.2
Fleet operator considerations
There are many potential factors that could either deter or motivate fleet operators to use
alternative fuels in their operations. These factors relate to cost, infrastructure, vehicle
and fuel characteristics and other general factors.
13
2.2.1
Cost
Costs that need to be considered when implementing the use of alternative fuels into
vehicles fleets include costs associated with vehicle purchasing, vehicle conversions,
vehicle operation and the alternative fuel price.
An alternative fuel vehicle study, undertaken at the University of California, surveyed
over 2700 fleets in California and identified that vehicle purchasing and vehicles
operating costs are important considerations to fleet operators when considering the use
of alternative fuels in vehicle fleets (Nesbitt,1998). High capital costs of alternative fuel
vehicles deter fleet operators from purchasing the vehicles, even in cases where the
alternative fuel vehicles may offer operational cost savings, such as reduced maintenance
costs. The operational cost savings are often overlooked by the fleet operators because of
the initial high cost of alternative fuel vehicles.
Perceived high vehicle operating costs are also seen as a deterrent to fleet operators. .
Some studies have suggested that fleet operators are more concerned with potential
vehicle repair costs and extra refueling time (which results in higher driver wages)
compared to any other types of costs (Nesbitt, 1998; Byrne, 2001).
Fuel price is also a cost issue that is important to fleet operators. The price for alternative
fuels needs to be equivalent to costs associated with traditional automobiles, or the price
will act as an impediment to alternative fuel vehicle purchases (Byrne, 2001). In the case
of the natural gas program in the 1980’s, the retail taxes were eliminated for natural gas
14
at both the federal and provincial government levels, which resulted in natural gas being
less expensive than gasoline. The lower fuel price for natural gas made the fuel an
attractive alternative for fleet operators (Flynn, 2002). While government incentives can
be a good way to kick-start an alternative fuel program, they run the risk of having the
industry dependent on ongoing subsidization. Therefore, if subsidization were to be
removed by the government, the price of the fuel source could become cost prohibitive
for fleet operators to continue using the fuel.
2.2.2
Infrastructure
The alternative fuel industry is faced with a variety of infrastructure challenges that will
need to be overcome in order to ensure its long term sustainability. Some key
infrastructure challenges include fuel source availability, vehicle availability and access
to fueling stations.
Ensuring an adequate supply of the alternative fuel ensures that the fuel source will be
readily available at fueling stations for fleet operators to use (Byrne, 2001). Mandating
an alternative fuel can help to spur local production of the fuel, since fuel producers will
have a market for the fuel source if it is required to be sold at local retail stations. As
such, a mandate can ensure fuel source availability in a region by attracting fuel
producers to create plants to make the fuel source. Manitoba recently passed legislation
to mandate E10 in 85% of gasoline stations by 2005 (Government of Manitoba, 2004).
As part of this strategy, the government provides incentives to producers to manufacture
15
ethanol fuel locally (Government of Manitoba, 2004). Shortly after the provincial
ethanol mandate was announced, the Minnedosa Ethanol plant in Manitoba announced its
plans to expand plant production capacity through the financial assistance of a federal
government grant (Janzen, 2004).
Vehicle availability is also a concern for fleet operators who consider using alternative
transportation fuels. Low alternative fuel vehicle availability and uncertainty about the
future availability of alternative fuel vehicles may deter vehicle operators from using
alternative fuels in their fleets. Currently, one of the concerns in the alternative fuel
market is the availability of E85 vehicles. In 2004, Daimlyer Chrysler stopped supplying
the Dodge Caravan E85 that was available in previous years. Other manufacturers are
discontinuing some of their alternative fuel vehicle lines, including Ford, who is retiring
its natural gas and propane vehicles and focusing on producing electric gas hybrids and
hydrogen technologies (AltFuels Advisor, 2004).
If fleet operators do not have access to alternative fuel vehicles they cannot use the fuels.
If vehicle demand for a particular alternative fuel drops substantially, because of lack of
alternative fuel vehicles, investment in alternative fuel infrastructure will diminish and
current alternative fuel stations may close. Manufacturers removing an alternative fuel
vehicle line from their operations can have a domino effect on the existing and proposed
infrastructure for alternative fuels and can lead to its eventual demise. Ford’s
discontinuation of the natural gas and propane vehicle, has the industry worried that if the
vehicles are no longer made, the infrastructure for the fuels will diminish, and that will
16
have a negative impact for those fleets that are currently relying on the fuel for their
vehicles (AltFuels Advisor, 2004).
When developing a market for alternative fuels it is important to establish an appropriate
number of refueling stations to support the use of the fuel in question. There is an
intrinsic link between fuel availability and vehicle purchase. Fleet operators will not
want to purchase alternative fuel vehicles if there are not adequate refueling stations, and
fuel suppliers will not want to build alternative fuel stations if there is not adequate
vehicle availability or vehicle demand in a region (Flynn, 2002).
For some alternative fuels, there are additional technical considerations that need to be
addressed because the storage of alternative fuels can require different fuel infrastructure
or storage equipment than required for conventional fuels. Additional resources may
need to be deployed by a fuel vendor to investigate fuel equipment compatibility with
alternative fuels and/or investment may be required to modify and purchase new
equipment to store alternative fuels. Compressed natural gas stations are a well
understood technology and have been built throughout Canada in over 100 stations since
the 1980’s (Flynn, 2002). In contrast, E85 stations are a new type of fueling station being
built in Canada and special equipment is required to store the fuel source (Legault, 2003;
Natural Resources Canada, 2002a). If alternative fuels are offered through the current
network of gasoline and diesel stations, technical changes and modifications to the
current infrastructure could be a large cost investment for these corporations; even
changes as small as nozzle modifications could represent a large investment and could
17
potentially become a barrier to the success of an alternative fuel vehicle program (Byrne,
2001).
2.2.3
Fuel and Vehicle Characteristics
Information on fuel and vehicle characteristics for alternative fuels needs to be shared
with fleet operators. Educating fleet operators on both the benefits and drawbacks of
owning an alternative fuel vehicle is very important (Byrne, 2001). Real environmental
benefits and economic benefits should be reported; exaggerated claims about an
alternative fuel or alternative fuel vehicle can damage the alternative fuel market. A
report prepared by the University of Alberta that describes obstacles encountered with the
natural gas industry in Canada states that one of the drawbacks that impeded the
development of the natural gas program initiated by the Canadian government in the
1980’s was that claims about the benefits of natural gas were exaggerated (Flynn, 2002).
The report specifically states that the economic and environmental statements about
natural gas were misleading. Claims made in the 1980s that natural gas was cleaner
burning were not accurate in practice since most natural gas vehicles at that time were
vehicles that were converted from a gasoline engine that had stoichiometric control to
natural gas engines that did not have this type of sophisticated stoichiometric control.
Stoichiometric control enables emission systems to function properly. The end result was
that natural gas from these conversions were not cleaner burning. The claims that natural
gas was cheaper than gasoline were also built on false circumstances. Natural gas was
18
less expensive than gasoline because of differential taxation, where natural gas road taxes
were not levied or were levied at a lower rate than gasoline was levied, making the fuel
cheaper through required subsidization. Government rebates for Natural gas vehicle
conversions were capped so that $500 rebates applied to the first 35,000 conversions and
the $50,000 grant per vehicle station applied to the first 125 stations. These grants were
offered as a market start up grant and without these subsidies natural gas vehicles were
no longer an economically preferred purchase choice (Flynn, 2002).
Performance in cold climates is also an important consideration when implementing
alternative fuels in a region like Winnipeg, Manitoba that is characterized by cold
winters. Access to information about cold weather vehicle performance is important for
fleet operators to receive since some alternative fuels are relatively new to the market in
Canada and the profile on fuel performance in cold weather climates is not always well
documented, such as the case with biodiesel. In Canada, biodiesel use is limited to a
select number of fleets using the fuel. For instance, Toronto Hydro, the City of
Brampton, and the City of Guelph are currently using biodiesel at levels of B20
(Paquette, 2004; Topia Energy, 2004; Toronto Hydro, 2004). Experience from fleet
operators in Toronto, Brampton and Guelph will be useful to fleet operators in Winnipeg;
however, these regions do not experience the same type of cold weather as Winnipeg.
A large scale biodiesel demonstration, called the biobus project, was recently completed
in Montreal, where 155 transit buses operated on the fuel for one year. Montreal has
similar cold weather seasons to Winnipeg, and as such, the biobus report provides fleet
19
operators in Winnipeg with an idea on how biodiesel performs in cold weather. In cold
weather applications, biodiesel forms small, solid waxy crystals that merge to form larger
crystals that plug the fuel filter in vehicles and equipment, which plugs the fuel line
(McGraw, 1998). Pure biodiesel starts solidifying at -3 to -12 C, depending on the fats or
oils it contains. When biodiesel is blended with petrodiesel, which can flow at
temperatures up to -25C, it avoids the cold weather problems of using biodiesel in its
pure form. The biobus project results indicate that it is safe to use a 20% blend of
biodiesel (to 80% petrodiesel) in very cold weather, such as typified in the BioBus
project where temperatures dropped to -30C. However, it should be noted that the buses
used in this demonstration were parked in a heated garage overnight during the winter
months. One blending tip that is presented in the biobus report is that the petrodiesel
should not be at a temperature below the biodiesel cloudpoint during blending. The
project also notes that biodiesel made from vegetable oil works better in cold weather
conditions than biodiesel made from animal fat (Societe de Transport de Montreal, 2004).
Ensuring that this type of information is easily available and communicated to other fleet
operators would help fleet operators to make informed decisions about using the fuel
effectively.
Fuel consumption differences sometimes exist between alternative fuels and conventional
fuels, which could result in higher costs to the fleet operator. Fuel consumption from
alternative fuels varies depending on the alternative fuel. If an alternative fuel has lower
energy content than conventional fuels, vehicles would be required to refuel more
frequently, which both reduce the vehicle driving range and increases fuel costs. An
20
example of an alternative fuel with a lower energy content than gasoline is E85.
According to Energuide, a federal government publication which provides information
on energy efficiency of vehicles, E85 vehicles can be 30% less energy efficient than
gasoline vehicles, which means they would have to refuel 30% more often than gasoline
vehicles. If the fuel cost is not subsidized by the government, the additional fuel cost
would be incurred by the fleet operator.
Natural gas and propane vehicles also have a more limited driving range than gasoline or
diesel vehicles, and have to be refueled more often (Natural Resources Canada, 2003).
For some fleets this is seen as a deterrent, but to other fleets the driving range limitation
is outweighed by the cost savings benefits from using the fuel (Natural Resources
Canada, 2003; Red River Valley Clean Cities Coalition, 2002).
2.2.4 Other Factors
There are also other factors that could motivate fleets to use alternative fuels. Studies
indicate that both corporate image, environmental concerns and health concerns are cited
as top motivators to use alternative transportation fuels (Nesbitt, 1998). Government
regulations such as the Kyoto Protocol are another motivator for fleets to use alternative
fuels. The Kyoto Protocol was ratified by Canada and requires that Canadian greenhouse
gas emissions are reduced. Other government regulations also act as motivators to use
alternative fuels, such as the federal government’s Alternative Fuels Act. The act has
changed the purchasing behavior for federal fleets. The alternative fuel act was
21
developed in 1995 as a means to increase the use of alternative fuels by federal
government departments (Department of Justice Canada, 2003).
2.3 Alternative Fuel Policies in Manitoba
Currently, the provincial government involvement in developing alternative fuel policy is
more significant than the municipal government’s policy development. The provincial
government’s larger role in alternative fuel policy development is appropriate since
matters concerning air quality are a provincial jurisdiction. While provincial
government’s have policies on alternative fuels, municipal governments do not, however
municipal government’s do have policy documents that address the issue of air quality
and present alternative fuels as one means of committing to improving air quality. The
following section highlights the alternative fuel policies of the respective governments.
2.3.1
Provincial Government Policies on Alternative Fuels
The Province of Manitoba’s energy policy focuses on developing clean, renewable
energy sources that are readily available in Manitoba. The provincial government has a
number of strategies for individual alternative fuels such as ethanol, hydrogen and
biodiesel. There is no current document in circulation that speaks to the development of
the natural gas, propane or electric/hybrid electric vehicles industry in Manitoba
(Kraynyk, 2004; Zdan, 2004).
22
Ethanol Strategy
The ethanol strategy is the provincial government’s most developed alternative
transportation fuel policy. In 2003, the provincial government passed legislation to
mandate the use of E10 in 85% of gasoline stations in Manitoba by September 2005
(Janzen, 2004). The process that led to the E10 mandate began in 2002 when the
provincial government expressed their interest in investigating the potential development
of the ethanol industry in Manitoba (Province of Manitoba- Manitoba Energy
Development Initiative, 2002a). In July, 2002, the Province of Manitoba established the
‘Ethanol Advisory Panel’, to undertake public and industry consultations throughout
Manitoba to prepare a comprehensive report, listing a set of recommendations that would
maximize the social, environmental and economic benefits associated with introducing a
mandate for ethanol blended fuels in Manitoba (Province of Manitoba- Manitoba Energy
Development Initiative, 2002a). The 32 recommendations developed by the ethanol
advisory panel were adopted by the Province of Manitoba in 2003. Key panel
recommendations included:
•
Mandating E10 by as early as 2005. From an environmental perspective, the
mandate is said to reduce the consumption of 143 million litres of gasoline,
which, in terms of reduction in greenhouse gases, is equivalent to taking 10,000
vehicles off the road in Manitoba (Manitoba Energy Development Initiative,
2002b).
23
•
Providing financial incentives to fuel users, equating to approximately 1.5 C/L of
gasoline that is blended with E10. This is a declining tax preference that will be
in place from 2005-2013. This is equivalent to approximately $150 million
dollars in subsidy by the provincial government to ensure that the pump price of
ethanol is equivalent to that of gasoline.
•
Researching and developing feedstock and co-products, to which the province has
now set up a working group with Saskatchewan so that both jurisdictions can
combine their financial and technical expertise to investigate feedstock and coproduct opportunities.
•
Establishing an ethanol office to co-ordinate development of the ethanol industry
and local economic opportunities.
•
Promoting public awareness and education on the environmental benefits of
increased ethanol use (Province of Manitoba- Manitoba Energy Development
Initiative, 2002a).
While the ethanol strategy is the most comprehensive alternative fuel strategy, it is not
targeted at vehicle fleets, but at developing local economic opportunities and ensuring
environmentally sustainable transport. The lack of a focus on fleets in the ethanol
strategy is likely because the strategy focuses on E10, which is a low level fuel blend that
is well understood and used by many vehicles in Manitoba, Canada and the U.S. It is
more suitable to target vehicle fleets are targeted more when the fuel is a new technology
whose performance has not been extensively documented.
24
Biodiesel Strategy
The provincial government does not have a policy document on biodiesel but is currently
investigating the opportunities for biodiesel development in the province. A similar
process as was enacted to investigate the ethanol opportunities has been established to
investigate biodiesel.
As with the Ethanol Advisory Panel, the Province of Manitoba has established a BioDiesel Advisory Council. The council was established in November of 2003 and is
charged with the task of investigating the potential for biodiesel development in
Manitoba. The purpose of investigating biodiesel is both to support the government’s
commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to diversifying the rural economy.
The council is co-chaired by the Canadian Canola Growers Association and the Manitoba
Trucking Association. The other members have a cross section of backgrounds including
transportation, agriculture and environment. The council works together to investigate all
facets of the biodiesel industry and provides the Provincial Government with a report
outlining the council’s recommendations.
Hydrogen Strategy
The province has a strategy to develop the hydrogen industry in Manitoba. Since this
study does not focus on hydrogen fuel, details of that strategy will not be discussed here,
25
however, it is important to note that this activity is going on along with other alternative
fuels strategies.
Kyoto and Beyond- A Climate Change Action Plan
In 2002, the provincial government released a climate change action plan that supports
the use of alternative fuels as a means of reducing greenhouse gases from the
transportation sector. Kyoto and Beyond, the Province’s action plan to meet and exceed
Canada’s Kyoto commitments, states that both the mandating of ethanol and use of
vehicles like the hybrid gas electric vehicles are ways in which to reduce impacts of
climate change. The report states that alternative fuels will help in mitigating the effect
of climate change by promoting technological development and innovation, such as
hydrogen fuel demonstrations. The climate change action plan does not specifically cite
that vehicle fleets are the recommended venue for alternative fuel use, but provides
examples of vehicle fleets, such as Manitoba Conservation that have alternative fuel
vehicles (Province of Manitoba, 2002).
2.3.2
Municipal Government Policies Relating to Alternative Fuels
The municipal government has two policy documents that pertain to air pollution. One is
Plan Winnipeg and the other is the Environmental Strategy.
Plan Winnipeg - 2020 Vision
26
Plan Winnipeg is the City of Winnipeg’s long term policy plan that provides the
foundation for all civic activity and whose principles are intended to be incorporated in
City documents, budgets, public works, programs or developments. Plan Winnipeg was
adopted by City Council in 2001. This policy document does not speak directly to the
implementation of alternative transportation fuels but does provide direction on how the
City should move forward with respect to supporting sustainable transportation options.
The policy document provides guidelines as they relate to transportation policy, which
include the following recommended actions:
•
Reduce greenhouse gases
•
Encourage non-motorized transport such as biking and walking
•
Support capital investment in infrastructure that support non-motorized transport
•
Provide alternatives to single occupant auto use
•
Provide incentives to reduce reliance on the automobile
•
Increase transit rider-ship
•
Invest in rapid transit corridor development
•
Implement an energy management plan to improve energy efficiency in a number
of areas including city-operated vehicles (The City of Winnipeg, 2004).
In 2001, Winnipeg City Council created the Civic Environmental Committee to provide
advice on sustainability issues, as they pertain to the environment and urban issues. One
of the first tasks that the Committee undertook was the development of an Environmental
Strategy that could provide Council with guidance on how to address environmental and
27
urban sustainability issues. The environmental strategy was developed to be consistent
with the principles and vision of Plan Winnipeg, but has not yet been adopted by City
Council (Winnipeg Civic Environmental Committee, 2004).
Sustainable Winnipeg: A Comprehensive Environmental Strategy
In the Environmental Strategy the use of alternative fuels in vehicle fleets is presented as
a key strategy to implement the policy objective of mitigating the City of Winnipeg’s
contribution to air pollution. The alternative fuel strategy presented in this policy
document is to integrate the use of gas/electric hybrid vehicles in the existing City of
Winnipeg fleet and explore the use of alternative fuels for fleet vehicles. The strategy’s
recommendation for alternative fuels represents only a small portion of the entire
strategy. The bulk of recommendations in the environmental strategy are aimed at
promoting sustainable transportation through reducing the number of vehicles on the road
and not so much on promoting ways to reduce emissions from vehicles (Winnipeg Civic
Environmental Committee, 2004).
2.4 Chapter Summary
There are a variety of alternative fuels and technologies currently available for use in
Winnipeg, Manitoba including ethanol, biodiesel, natural gas, propane and electric gas
hybrid vehicles. Ethanol, biodiesel and electric gas hybrids are being more heavily
promoted than propane and natural gas in Winnipeg. All alternative fuels are said to
28
offer environmental benefits over conventional fuels. Currently in Canada alternative
fuels are largely being promoted on the basis of their ability to reduce greenhouse gases
from the transportation section, which can help to achieve targets set out in the Kyoto
Protocol. Some alternative fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, also provide additional
benefits to greenhouse gas reductions, in that they are renewable, and can be used in the
future to displace the use of conventional fuel. The United States is largely promoting
alternative fuels on the basis that their renewable qualities can help to ensure energy
security in the region by creating the sources locally (U.S. Department of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 2004).
While the use of alternative fuels may offer environmental and other benefits, there are a
number of factors that fleet operators have to consider before implementing the use of
these fuels fleet wide. Through conducting a document review on fleet operator
perspectives of using alternative fuels in fleets, a list of factors were identified, including,
cost, infrastructure requirements, vehicle and fuel characteristics and other general
factors. Cost considerations are costs associated with vehicle purchasing, vehicle
conversion, vehicle operation and alternative fuel price. Infrastructure challenges include
fuel availability at refueling stations, fuel storage equipment, fuel source availability and
vehicle availability. Some vehicle and fuel characteristics that need to be considered
when implementing the use of alternative fuel in vehicle fleets are cold weather issues,
vehicle maintenance issues and fuel consumption. Corporate image and environmental
and health concerns are motivators for fleet operators to use alternative transportation
fuels. Finally, government regulations are another motivator for fleets to use alternative
29
fuels. The variety of factors that could motivate or deter fleet operators from using
alternative is extensive and once identified can be used to develop appropriate approaches
to increase the use of alternative fuels in vehicle fleets.
One of the other important elements to consider when implementing the use of alternative
fuels in a region is the type of support local governments provide for the promotion of the
fuels. In Manitoba, alternative fuel policies at the provincial level do not have a distinct
focus on vehicle fleets, but focus on exploring the development of the alternative fuel
industry for economic and environmental benefits. This is largely because the only
completed policy document on alternative fuels focuses on an ethanol fuel source that is
already well established in Manitoba and where vehicle performance has already been
clearly demonstrated. For fuels like biodiesel, which the province is currently
investigating, there may be more of a vehicle fleet focus since biodiesel vehicle
performance still needs to be demonstrated in Manitoba.
Municipal government policy is more concerned with making the transportation system
more sustainable by employing strategies that focus on encouraging communal
transportation such as public transit or non-motorized transportation such as biking and
walking, rather than finding ways to make vehicles more efficient, through means such as
alternative fuels.
30
CHAPTER 3
3.0
RESEARCH APPROACH
Multiple approaches were taken to conduct the research presented in this thesis. The first
step in the research process was to conduct a literature review on alternative fuels to
document background information on each fuel. Two other methods were employed to
gather research data, including document reviews and survey distribution. The first
document review was a fleet document review which helped to identify some of the key
factors of implementing alternative fuels into vehicles fleets. The second document
review was a review of local government alternative fuel policies in Manitoba. After
compiling information in the document reviews, a survey was distributed to select vehicle
fleets in Winnipeg. The Winnipeg case study served to identify the level of importance
fleet operators in Winnipeg place on the factors of implementing alternative fuels in
fleets. The final step in the research was to discuss the research conclusions. The
research approach is summarized in figure 1 on the following page. Each method is
described in detail in this chapter.
31
Figure 1: Research Approach
Methods
Policy
Document
Review
Objectives
Objective #1:
Identify the current
government policy
framework for
alternative fuel
development in
Manitoba
Case Study
Survey
Objective #2:
Identify the current
usage of alternative
fuels in vehicle fleets
in Manitoba
Fleet
Document
Review
Objective #3:
Establish factors that
need to be considered
when implementing
alternative fuels into
vehicle fleets
Case Study
Survey
Objective #4:
Assign values to
the factors to assist
alternative fuel
decision makers in
understanding the
relative importance
of the factors
Output
Summary of Manitoba
alternative fuel policies
Fuel Usage Data
List of Factors to Used
in Survey Distribution
Values for the Factors
32
3.1 Literature Review
The literature review provided a broad overview on alternative fuel options. Alternative
fuels included in the literature review were readily available and technically feasible fuels
for use in fleets in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The purpose of conducting the literature review
was to identify each fuel type, identify how the fuel is made, identify the types of
vehicles that can use the fuel and the fuel availability and fuel storage requirements. The
literature review consisted of a review of primarily Canadian and U.S. government
websites, reports, thesis dissertations, books, pamphlets and other like publications.
3.2
Policy Document Review
Information for the policy document review was compiled through personal
communications with representatives in the provincial and municipal governments and a
through a review of publications relating to government policy on alternative fuels. The
purpose of conducting the policy document review was to gain an understanding of the
policies in place in Manitoba that pertained to alternative fuels, particularly anything
regarding use in fleets.
3.3 Fleet Document Review
A fleet document review was conducted to identify the factors to be considered when
using alternative fuels in vehicle fleets. The fleet document review was a targeted review
33
of publications that presented fleet perspectives on using alternative fuels. Publications
that were reviewed included journal articles, newspaper articles, pamphlets, websites,
reports and other like publications. Some additional information was compiled through
personal communications with representatives involved in management of municipal and
provincial fleets, email correspondences, participation in alternative fuel site tours, and
general information gained through work related discussions with fleet managers in
Manitoba. The information gathered through these venues was used to identify some
initial factors that may be relevant to Winnipeg fleet operators.
The research focused on identifying the factors that could motivate or deter fleet
operators from using alternative fuels. Some transportation analysts and environmental
psychologists involved in assessing how to effect sustainable behaviour change and draft
effective policies and programs to effect that change, emphasize the importance of
identifying factors of importance to the population that is being targeted for change,
before implementing the change. Factors include both barriers and benefits to a
particular behavior change (Manheim, 1979; McKenzie-Mohr, 1999). As such, all
potential factors of importance to fleet operators were identified in the fleet document
review.
3.4
Case Study – Survey Distribution
A case study of fleet operator opinions on the use of alternative fuels in Manitoba vehicle
fleets was conducted by developing and analyzing a survey that was distributed to vehicle
34
fleet operators in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The sample population, survey purpose, survey
approach and how the survey was analyzed are discussed in the following four sections.
3.41
Sample Population
Vehicle fleets are often the first user group targeted to switch to using alternative fuels,
and as such they were the sample population for the survey. Industry and government
fleets were included in the survey. The selection of industry categories to survey was
based on a set of defined criteria. The criteria list and justification for using the criteria
are described below.
Criteria #1- Vehicle fleets operational in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Fleet operators with vehicle fleets operational in Winnipeg were included in the survey
distribution for a number of reasons. The primary reason was to gather primary data
from Winnipeg, so that a new set of data on the use of alternative fuels could be
developed, since there is not a large amount of data from a Canadian perspective relating
to alternative fuels in vehicle fleets. Winnipeg fleets were surveyed because Winnipeg is
the economic center of Manitoba, with 644,500 people residing in the City of Winnipeg
as of 2003 (City of Winnipeg, 2004). Sixty percent of residents reside in Winnipeg, of
the total provincial population of 1.162,800 (Destination Winnipeg, 2004a).
Transportation is one of the key industries in Winnipeg and the City is a major
transportation hub for the shipment of goods across Canada and into the U.S., because of
35
its central location in North America (Destination Winnipeg, 2004b).
If companies
explicitly identified that they did not have head offices in Winnipeg and/or did not have a
fleet operator in Winnipeg who could make decisions pertaining to the fuel used in the
vehicles, these fleets were excluded from the survey process. Additionally, focusing the
survey on Winnipeg provided a geographic boundary for the survey distribution.
Criteria #2- Rely on transportation service as the primary source of income
Vehicle fleets are often targeted for the adoption of alternative fuels. These fleets
generally use large amounts of fuel annually and rely on transportation services as the
primary source of income. If vehicle fleets switched from using conventional fuels to
alternative fuels, the switch could have a significant impact on reducing vehicular
emissions and be pivotal in developing the alternative fuel market.
Criteria #3- Are assumed to follow predictable routes and/or have centralized fueling
Vehicle fleets with predictable routes and/or centralized fueling are often targeted for the
adoption of alternative fuels. Fleets with predictable routes often track their fuel usage
and know what how far their vehicles travel daily. For this reason, they are able to make
informed decisions about switching to alternative fuels where factors such as vehicle
range and fuel costs are issues. It is further assumed that fleets with centralized fueling
(i.e. refuel at their own private fueling station) could make an easy switch to alternative
fuels by incorporating the use of alternative fuels at their existing fueling stations, thereby
36
eliminating the need to wait until there is an adequate alternative fuel supply at retail
fueling stations.
Criteria #4- Have an employee like a fleet manage/fleet operator or other representative,
who makes or can influence decisions about the fuel source used in fleet vehicles.
The criteria to have a fleet manager/fleet operator or other representative who influences
fuel purchasing decisions was used so that the opinions of representatives who could
influence fuel related decisions for fleets were consulted. Targeting these types of
representatives provides a more valuable data set than, for example, individual owner
operators within a business since fleet managers and other like reps manage an entire
vehicle fleet. Fleet managers can be decision makers pertaining to the use of alternative
fuels in their fleets and are anticipated to have long term experience with managing
vehicle fleets, being knowledgeable on the impacts of introducing a new fuel source like
alternative fuels.
Fleets that were sent surveys included:
•
Trucking Industry
•
Messengers and Couriers
•
Taxis
•
Bus Lines
•
Provincial Government Fleets
•
Municipal Government Fleets
37
Industry fleets were included in the survey distribution. Municipal and provincial
government fleets were also included in the survey so that comparisons could be made
between opinions of private industry and governments as it pertains to decisions to use
alternative fuels in vehicle fleets.
The way in which trucking companies were selected for inclusion in the survey
distribution were by obtaining company contact information through the 2002 business
directory and 2002 yellow pages. From there, the list of trucking companies to be
surveyed were sent to the Manitoba Trucking Association for verification to ensure that
all key players in the industry were included in the distribution of the surveys.
Messenger and Courier companies were selected the same way as trucking companies,
through the 2002 business directory and 2002 yellow pages. The companies listed in
these sources are well known and available to the general public as service providers to
move small goods within the limits of Winnipeg.
3.42
Survey Purpose
A survey was distributed to vehicle fleet operators in Winnipeg to identify fleet operator
opinions on the use of alternative fuels in vehicle fleets. A list of factors identified
through the survey included:
•
Use of alternative fuels
•
Access to information on alternative fuels
•
Consideration of using alternative fuels in fleets
38
•
Motivators and Deterrents to using alternative fuels in fleets
The survey questionnaire is in Appendix B.
The central part of the survey was the identification of what fleet operators thought were
the motivators and deterrents to using alternative fuels in their fleets. Through the fleet
document review, a list was compiled to identify an initial list of factors that need to be
considered when using alternative fuel in vehicle fleets, based on opinions from fleets
throughout Canada, the U.S. and other regions. The questions included in the survey on
motivators and deterrents were developed using the factor list compiled through the fleet
document review and were presented to Winnipeg fleet operators to identify the level of
importance they placed on these factors, essentially verifying whether the factors
identified in the fleet document review were relevant to Winnipeg fleets. The way in
which this was verified was by asking survey candidates to rank the level of importance
they would assign to the motivators or deterrents. For both the motivator and deterrent
question, there was a list of 10 potential motivators that fleets were asked to rank on a
scale of 1 to 10, where 1 represented the highest motivator/deterrent and 10 represented
the lowest motivator/deterrent. There was also space provided for fleets to identify any
other motivators or deterrents that were not on the list supplied.
39
3.43
Survey approach
Surveys were distributed to private industry by mail and to government by email. Within
the initial survey distribution, a cover letter was included to fleet operators indicating the
purpose and benefits of participating in the research, as well as providing some
background on the research purpose. For three months following the survey distribution,
the researcher conducted follow up calls to fleets. Part of the follow up call process was
to verify that the initial population surveyed met the specified criteria to complete the
surveys so that information obtained through the surveys was consistent with the research
objectives.
3.44
Survey Analysis
A software program called Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to
input and analyze the survey responses. SPSS is a recognized software package used to
analyze social science data gathered through various methods of research. The analysis
conducted for this survey consisted of descriptive qualitative statistics such as frequency
and means. Two components in the analysis process that require explanation are how the
response rate was calculated and how the value for motivators and deterrents to using
alternative fuels was analyzed.
The response rate was calculated using an adjusted population size. During the follow up
calls, after the initial survey distribution, it became apparent that 53 out of the original
40
170 organizations surveyed did not fit the intended population, and as such, they were not
included in the survey process. This meant that 31% of the initial population could not
be included in the survey process. For this reason, when computing the response rate for
surveys, an adjusted population was calculated, to take into account the 53 fleets that did
not represent the targeted population.
To calculate the level of importance that fleets placed on motivators and deterrents, the
researcher calculated means to measure the level of importance that fleets placed on each
factor. The numbers presented in the tables and graphs in Chapter four, represent the
means for a scale where number 1 is the least important motivator and 10 is the most
important motivator. For the actual survey distribution, the scale had 1 as the highest
motivator and 10 as the lowest motivator, but for purposes of creating graphs that
illustrate which motivator is the highest importance, the researcher adjusted the scale so
that the graphs would make logical sense from a visual perspective. All other analysis in
the case study section relating to the survey was done using SPSS tools.
3.5 Conclusions and Discussions
The conclusions and discussions section involved compiling all of the information gained
throughout the research process into a concise overview of the factors that need to be
considered when implementing alternative fuels into vehicle fleets. For the development
of the conclusions, information compiled from the policy document review, fleet
document review and case study were assessed and presented in a fashion that could be
41
used easily by decision makers such as government policy makers or alternative fuel
promoters to help understand the issues facing the development of the alternative fuel
industry.
42
CHAPTER 4
4.0
ALTERNATIVE FUEL USE IN VEHICLE FLEETS IN WINNIPEG, MB
Private industry and government fleet operators in Winnipeg, Manitoba were surveyed to
determine their opinions about the use of alternative fuels in vehicle fleets. The survey
investigated factors such as the use of alternative fuels in fleets, fleet operators’ access to
information on alternative fuels, if fleet operators considered using alternative fuels in
fleets and fleet operators’ opinions on motivators and deterrents to using alternative fuels
in fleets. A copy of the survey is provided in Appendix B.
As outlined in Chapter 3, the fleets that were sent surveys included:
•
Messengers and Couriers
•
Trucking
•
Provincial Government fleets
•
Municipal Government fleets
•
Taxis
•
Bus Lines
4.1 Survey response rate
Surveys received from trucking, messenger and couriers, municipal government and
provincial government fleets were included in the survey analysis. Taxis, bus lines and
schools were excluded from the survey analysis because of very low response rates. For
43
example, only one survey was received for taxis and bus lines respectively. Low
response rates for bus lines and taxis may have been due the fact that it was difficult to
get in touch with fleet managers and/or representatives responsible for fleet decisions for
taxi companies and bus lines. Low response rates for schools may have occurred
because follow up calls were conducted during the summer months, when key staff could
not be spoken to since most were on holidays.
Messenger and courier response rate was 28% (9 respondents), trucking response rate
was 21% (15 respondents), and municipal (3 respondents) and provincial (6 respondents)
response rates were both 60%. The total response rate was 28% with 33 surveys
completed by fleet operators, all of which were included in the survey analysis.
The remainder of this chapter provides a profile of all fleets surveyed and detail on trends
for all organizations surveyed, beginning with the use of alternative fuels in fleets,
followed by factors that would motivate or deter fleet operators from using alternative
fuels.
4.2
4.21
Profile of fleets surveyed
Messengers and Couriers
There is limited information available on the messenger and courier companies in
operation in Winnipeg. In 2001, the courier industry employed 604 people in Manitoba,
44
and the estimated number of carriers in the population was 1,018 (Statistics Canada,
2004a; Transport Institute- University of Manitoba, 2003). Messengers and couriers can
be defined as an industry sector that is “primarily engaged in providing national/
international courier delivery services as well as messenger and delivery services of small
parcels within a single urban area. The type and size of parcels carried, the speed of
delivery and premium services such as guaranteed delivery and track and trace service,
are the main features of their activities” (Statistics Canada, 2004b). For the purpose of
this research, surveys were sent to courier companies that provide delivery of goods in
Winnipeg, Manitoba.
4.2.2
Trucking
Trucking is an extremely important industry to Manitoba both economically and socially.
Truck driving is stated to be the most frequently citied occupation by Canadian men, with
over 255,990 Canadians employed as truck drivers (Manitoba Trucking Association,
2004). Goods movement in Manitoba is highly dependent on the trucking industry, with
95% of inter-provincial goods movement reliant on trucks (Manitoba Trucking
Association, 2004).
An estimated $1.18 billion dollars is contributed to Manitoba’s
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), through both direct and indirect services from the forhire trucking industry in the province (Manitoba Trucking Association, 2004). The
trucking industry is also pivotal to sustaining export trade to U.S. trading partners. Daily
truck trips traverse through the mid-continent trade corridor, delivering goods to a market
of 100 million people, with an average of 1,000 trucks crossing the Manitoba-U.S. border
45
every day (Manitoba Trade and Investment, 2003). In the last ten years, the Manitoban
Canada/US trans-border truck movements have increased by 9%, which makes Manitoba
the fastest growing Canadian provinces in terms of truck trips across the border
(Manitoba Transportation and Government Services, 2004a).
Two of Canada’s ten largest for-hire trucking organizations are stationed in Winnipeg,
and there are a large number of other trucking companies in Manitoba (Manitoba
Industry Trade& Mines, 2004). Some statistics indicate that there are 525 for hire motor
carriers who operate in Manitoba and a further 2,000 carriers that operate in or through
Manitoba (Manitoba Industry Trade& Mines, 2004). Other studies provide similar
estimates on the size of the trucking industry, but maintain that the exact number of firms
in operation in Manitoba is difficult to assess since an accurate list of the companies
operating in the region is hard to acquire (Transport Institute- University of Manitoba,
2000).
4.2.3
Government- Municipal and Provincial
Both municipal and provincial government fleet operators were surveyed. Federal
government fleets that operate in Winnipeg were not surveyed because the federal
government is involved in different types of alternative fuel promotion and programs than
provincial and municipal fleets, such as the federal government’s Alternative Fuels Act.
This type of federal directive that requires federal fleets to use alternative fuels does not
exist for either provincial or municipal fleets. Also, in some instances, the federal
46
government provides subsidies to federal fleet departments to use specific alternative
fuels in fleets, where the provincial and municipal governments do not offer similar
incentives for their departments.
A large portion of the provincial vehicle fleet is managed by the Fleet Vehicles Agency,
which leases vehicles to provincial departments. The Fleet Vehicles Agency operates as
a Special Operating agency, which is an arms length organization from the province. The
Fleet Vehicles Agency manages approximately 2600 vehicles primarily for provincial
departments, but also for federal fleets, municipalities, crown corporations, school
divisions and non-for profit agencies (Fleet Vehicles Agency-Province of Manitoba,
2004). Surveys were sent out to all provincial departments that are managed through the
Fleet Vehicles Agency, in addition to being sent to other key operators in Winnipeg fleets
that are Crown Corporations, not managed through Fleet Vehicles Agency. One key
provincial department that was not included in the research process was the Mechanical
Equipment Services Branch, the provincial department responsible for the management
of 2,300 pieces of heavy equipment. This was realized after the survey had been
distributed and analyzed. Presentation of survey results for provincial surveys includes
responses from Fleet Vehicles Agency combined with responses from Crown
Corporations.
The bulk of municipal vehicles are also managed through a Special Operating Agency
called the Fleet Management Agency, which is a branch of the municipal government.
The Fleet Management Agency manages a fleet of approximately 1300 vehicles. Surveys
47
were sent to all municipal departments that manage their vehicles through the Fleet
Management Agency, in addition to other key municipal fleet operators that are not
managed through the Fleet Management Agency. The provincial and municipal
departments and publicly funded customers that lease or purchase their vehicles through
provincial and municipal fleet agencies would have the ultimate decision as to what type
of vehicle and fuel is used in the vehicles; however, the agency itself could play a role in
encouraging the use of other fuel sources and/or the purchase of new vehicles at the right
time of the vehicle life cycle (Chartrand, 2004; Lupien, 2004).
The provincial government vehicles refuel primarily at retail fueling stations throughout
the province, while municipal vehicle fleets refuel at privately owned City of Winnipeg
fueling sites. The provincial fleet, managed by the Fleet Vehicles Agency, is comprised
of light duty vehicles. The heavy duty vehicles and equipment is managed by the
Mechanical Equipment services branch, where the heavy duty vehicles were not included
in the survey distribution. The City of Winnipeg’s fleet is made up of an equal split of
heavy duty and light duty vehicles (Chartrand, Andy, 2004; Lupien, Yvan, 2004).
4.3
Fleet Size
The number of vehicles in each fleet that responded to the survey varied from fleets that
had one vehicle to fleets that had twenty six hundred vehicles, as such, opinions captured
in the survey come from a cross section of fleet sizes. Of the total 33 surveys that were
received, there were eleven fleets with 1-100 vehicles, six fleets with 100-500 vehicles,
48
three fleets with 500-1000 vehicles, three fleets with over 2000 vehicles and ten fleets
that did not disclose the number of vehicles in their fleet.
4.4
Use of alternative fuels in fleets
Of all of the fleets surveyed there was a strong trend indicating that the majority of fleets
do not use alternative fuels. Only 24% of all fleet operators surveyed indicated that they
use alternative fuels in some capacity in their fleet operations. This represents 8 out of 33
fleet operators who cited that they use alternative fuels in some capacity in their fleets.
Government fleet operators cited using alternative fuels more than industry fleet
operators.
Proportion of Fleets Using Alternative Fuels
100%
90%
80%
70%
4 of 6
Provincial
Municipal
Trucking
Messenger and Courier
Percentage
60%
50%
40%
30%
1 of 3
20%
10%
2 of 15
1 of 9
0%
Provincial
Municipal
Trucking
Messenger and Courier
Organization
Figure 2: Proportion of Fleets Using Alternative Fuels
49
The use of the alternative fuels in fleets represented only a small portion relative to the
size of the entire fleet. Of the fleets surveyed, the proportion of alternative fuels to fleet
size was less than 3% (with the exception of one fleet that had 2 out of its 3 vehicles
operating on alternative fuels). Fleet operators were also asked whether they had
considered using alternative fuels in their fleets. A much higher proportion of
government fleets operators have considered using alternative fuels in their fleets than
industry fleet operators.
The type of alternative fuel most commonly used by all fleet operators was E10, which is
offered at 23 stations in Manitoba. Other fuel sources and vehicle technologies used are
propane and hybrid electric vehicles. Fleet operators using propane indicated that the
fuel is used in vehicles that are not the standard vehicle for the fleet operations. For
instance propane is used in forklifts in some trucking companies. Fleet operators using
gasoline electric hybrid vehicles all stated that the vehicles are still in the evaluation
period.
4.5 Access to current information on alternative fuels
The survey asked fleet operators to indicate whether they have adequate access to current
information on alternative fuels to decide which fuel type is most suitable for their
respective operations. A large percent of fleets surveyed indicated that they did not have
adequate information on alternative fuels. Of all fleets surveyed only 36% of fleet
operators (12 of 33) felt they had adequate access to information on alternative fuels.
50
Government fleets citied having significantly more access to information on alternative
fuel compared to industry.
The graph below illustrates that fleet operators with more information on alternative fuels
will be more likely to use the fuels in their fleets.
Proportion of Fleets Using Alternative Fuels vs Adequate Access to Information on Alternative Fuels
100%
90%
5 of 6
80%
70%
Percentage
4 of 6
2 of 3
60%
Using Alternative Fuels
50%
Adequate Access to Alternative Fuels
40%
30%
1 of 3
4 of 15
20%
2 of 15
10%
1 of 9 1 of 9
0%
Provincial
Municipal
Trucking
Messenger and
Courier
Organization
Figure 3: Proportion of Fleets Using Alternative Fuels vs. Access to Information on
Alternative Fuels
4.6
Motivators- What motivates fleets to use alternative fuels?
The following section provides insight into what motivates fleet operators to use
alternative fuels in their fleets. The survey that was sent to fleet operators provided them
51
with a list of 10 potential factors that could motivate them to use alternative fuels. Fleet
operators were asked to rank each potential motivator. There was also space provided for
fleet operators to identify any other motivators that were not on the list supplied. These
additional motivators were not included in the analysis, but a list of ‘other’ motivators
identified in the survey responses is provided at the end of this section.
The numbers presented in the tables and graphs to follow represent the mean number that
fleet operators ranked for each potential motivator. For this scale, number 1 is the least
important motivator and 10 is the most important. Please note: for the actual survey
distribution, the scale had 1 as the highest motivator and 10 as the lowest motivator, but
for purposes of creating graphs that illustrate which motivator is the highest importance,
the researcher adjusted the scale so that the graphs would make logical sense from a
visual perspective (see Chapter 3, Research Approach for further details).
52
4.6.1 Messenger and Couriers
In order of importance, the messenger and courier fleets listed following factors as the
top 3 motivators to use alternative fuels in their fleet: fuel price, fuel consumption and
economic incentives.
Motivators to Using Alternative Fuels- Messenger and Courier
10.00
Fuel Price (equivalent to gas/diesel)
9.00
Fuel Consumption (equivalent to gas/diesel)
Level of Importance
(Means)
8.00
7.00
Economic Incentives
6.00
Acquisition of Alternative Fuel Vehicle Not
Required
Environmental Concerns
5.00
4.00
3.00
Health Concerns
2.00
Vehicle Conversions Not Required
1.00
Government Regulations
Kyoto Protocol
Corporate Image
Fu
el
C
Fu
el
Pr
ic
on
e
(e
su
qu
m
Ac
iva
pt
qu
io
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isi
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at
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Motivators
Figure 4: Top 3 motivators to Using Alternative Fuels (Messenger and Couriers)
The top three motivators all related to cost. Other messenger and courier motivators that
are high priority (above a 6 on the ranking scale) related to not having to purchase a new
vehicle, concern for the environment and concern for human health.
53
4.6.2 Trucking
In order of importance, trucking fleets listed the following factors as the top 3 motivators
to using alternative fuels in their fleet: fuel price, fuel consumption and economic
incentives.
Motivators to Using Alternative Fuels- Trucking
10.00
Fuel Price (equivalent to gas/diesel)
9.00
Fuel Consumption (equivalent to gas/diesel)
Level of Importance
(Means)
8.00
Economic Incentives
7.00
6.00
Environmental Concerns
5.00
Vehicle Conversions Not Required
4.00
3.00
Government Regulations
2.00
Health Concerns
1.00
Fu
Fu
el
el
Pr
C
ic
on
e
(e
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qu
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ire
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ra
l
te
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0.00
Acquisition of Alternative Fuel Vehicle Not
Required
Kyoto Protocol
Corporate Image
Motivators
Figure 5: Top 3 motivators to Using Alternative Fuels (Trucking)
The top three motivators for trucking related to cost. The other trucking motivator that
was ranked as high priority related to the environment.
54
4.6.3 Municipal
In order of importance, municipal fleets listed the following factors as the top 3
motivators to use alternative fuels in their fleet: health concerns, environmental concerns
and fuel consumption (equivalent to gas/diesel).
Motivators to Using Alternative Fuels- Municipal
10.00
Health Concerns
9.00
Environmental Concerns
Level of Importance
(Means)
8.00
7.00
Fuel Consumption (equivalent to gas/diesel)
6.00
Vehicle Conversions Not Required
5.00
Fuel Price (equivalent to gas/diesel)
4.00
Kyoto Protocol
3.00
2.00
Government Regulations
1.00
Economic Incentives
rn
s
on
Fu
ga
ve
el
s/
rs
Pr
d
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o
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at
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Acquisition of Alternative Fuel Vehicle Not
Required
C
iv
al
en
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Corporate Image
Ve
hi
cl
e
(e
qu
En
vi
ro
nm
H
ea
lth
C
on
ce
rn
s
0.00
Motivators
Figure 6: Top 3 motivators to Using Alternative Fuels (Municipal)
The top motivators primarily related to social issues such as human health and the
environment, with the exception of fuel consumption being equivalent to gas or diesel
also being a top motivator to using alternative fuels. Other municipal motivators that are
high priority related to political and cost issues.
55
4.6.4 Provincial
In order of importance, Provincial fleets listed the following factors as the top 3
motivators to use alternative fuels in their fleet: environmental concerns, government
regulations and health concerns.
Motivators to Using Alternative Fuels- Provincial
10.00
Environmental Concerns
9.00
Government Regulations
Level of Importance
(Means)
8.00
7.00
Health Concerns
6.00
Corporate Image
5.00
Fuel Consumption (equivalent to gas/diesel)
4.00
3.00
Kyoto Protocol
2.00
Fuel Price (equivalent to gas/diesel)
1.00
Economic Incentives
Acquisition of Alternative Fuel Vehicle Not
Required
m
en
Vehicle Conversions Not Required
ov
er
n
G
En
vi
ro
nm
en
ta
lC
on
ce
rn
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s
e
Fu
gu
el
l
at
H
C
io
ea
on
ns
lth
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m
C
on
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io
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n
or
rn
(e
po
s
qu
ra
iv
te
al
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en
ag
tt
Fu
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ga
el
s/
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se
Ky
(e
l)
ot
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al
ro
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en
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o
is
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itio
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hi
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/
cle
on
di
of
es
om
Al
C
el
on
te
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)
rn
ve
In
at
rs
ce
iv
io
nt
e
n
iv
Fu
s
es
No
el
tR
Ve
eq
hi
cl
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e
re
No
d
tR
eq
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re
d
0.00
Motivators
Figure 7: Top 3 motivators to Using Alternative Fuels (Provincial)
The top three motivators for provincial fleets related to social and political issues such as
environment, government regulations and health concerns. Other provincial motivators
that were high priority related to social, cost and political issues.
56
Industry and government did not hold the same opinions on what would motivate their
respective fleet operators to use alternative fuels. Industry’s top three motivators were
identical and deal with issues that related to cost and driving range of the vehicle (fuel
consumption). Government’s top three motivators were not focused on cost, with the
exception of the municipal government’s concern for fuel consumption, but focused on
social and political issues such as the environment, health concerns and government
regulations.
4.6.5
Other Motivators
The survey also asked fleets to provide feedback on ‘other’ factors that would motivate
them to use alternative fuels, other than the factors in the ranking list. Some of the
factors were entirely new factors that were not identified in the survey and some of the
factors provided further insight into the factors listed in the ranking table. For instance,
in the ranking table there was a category for fleets to select economic incentives as a
motivator, but some fleets identified what type of economic incentives would motivate
them to use fuels, such as government subsidies of fuels cost or subsidies toward vehicle
conversions.
Other Motivators for Using Alternative Fuels (All Fleet Operators Surveyed) included:
Cost
•
Government subsidies on fuel costs
57
•
Government subsidies towards vehicle conversions
•
Competitive advantage for fleets using alternative fuels
•
Lower overall cost of operation
Infrastructure
•
Having a selection of fuels available from multiple fuel providers
•
Availability of trained maintenance staff
•
Multiple vehicle and repair parts
Environmental
•
Proof that alternative fuels are cleaner burning
Other
•
Fleet operators being made aware of what alternative fuel options exist for their
fleet applications
•
4.7
One alternative fuel becoming the standard for a specific industry
Deterrents- What deters fleets from using alternative fuels?
The following section provides insight into what deters fleet operators from using
alternative fuels in their fleets. The survey sent to fleet operators provided them with a
list of 10 potential deterrents and the operators were asked to rank each potential
deterrent, as it related to their decision to use alternative fuels in their fleets. There was
also space provided for fleets to identify any other deterrents that were not on the list
58
supplied. These additional deterrents were not included in the analysis, however a list of
the ‘other’ identified deterrents is provided at the end of this section.
As was the case with the motivators, the numbers presented in the tables and graphs to
follow represent the mean number that fleet operators assigned to each deterrent. For this
scale, number 1 is the lowest deterrent and number 10 is the highest deterrent. Please
note: for the actual survey distribution, the scale had 1 as the highest deterrent and 10 as
the lowest deterrent, but for purposes of creating graphs that illustrate which deterrent is
the highest importance, the researcher adjusted the scale so that the graphs would make
logistical sense from a visual perspective. (see Chapter 3, Research Approach for further
details).
59
4.7.1 Messenger and Courier
In order of importance, for messenger and courier fleet operators the following factors
were the top three factors that would deter them from using alternative fuels in their fleet:
low alternative fuel vehicle availability, vehicle conversions costly and new alternative
fuel vehicle acquisition costly.
Deterrents to Using Alternative Fuels: Messenger and Courier
Level of Importance
(Means)
10.00
9.00
Low Alternative Fuel Vehicle Availability
8.00
Vehicle Conversions Costly
New Alternative Fuel Vehicle Acquisition Costly
7.00
Maintenance Issues
6.00
Vehicle Breakdowns
5.00
Lack of Refueling Stations
4.00
Fuel More Costly
3.00
Safety Issues
2.00
Cold Start Issues
1.00
Low Fuel Consumption
rn
at
Al
te
N
ew
Lo
w
Al
te
rn
at
iv
e
Ve
h
Fu
el
Ve
hi
cl
iv
ic
e
e
l
e
Av
Fu
C
ai
el
on
la
Ve
ve
bi
lit
hi
rs
y
cl
io
e
ns
Ac
C
qu
os
is
tly
itio
M
n
ai
C
nt
os
en
tly
an
Ve
ce
hi
Is
La
cl
su
e
ck
es
Br
of
ea
R
kd
ef
ow
ue
lin
ns
g
S
Fu
ta
tio
el
ns
M
or
e
C
os
Sa
tly
fe
ty
C
I
ss
ol
d
ue
Lo
St
s
w
ar
Fu
tI
ss
el
ue
C
on
s
su
m
pt
io
n
0.00
Deterrents
Figure 8: Top 3 Deterrents to Using Alternative Fuels (Messenger and Courier)
The top deterrents for messenger and couriers related to infrastructure and cost.
Messengers and couriers also gave high priority to a number of different types of
deterrents, mostly relating to maintenance issues, infrastructure and cost.
60
4.7.2 Trucking
In order of importance, for trucking fleet operators the following factors were the top
three factors that would deter them from using alternative fuels in their fleet: fuel more
costly, new alternative fuel vehicle acquisition costly and lack of refueling stations.
Deterrents to Using Alternative Fuels- Trucking
Level of Importance
(Means)
10.00
9.00
Fuel More Costly
8.00
New Alternative Fuel Vehicle Acquisition Costly
Lack of Refueling Stations
7.00
Vehicle Conversions Costly
6.00
Low Alternative Fuel Vehicle Availability
5.00
Vehicle Breakdowns
4.00
Cold Start Issues
3.00
Low Fuel Consumption
2.00
Maintenance Issues
1.00
Safety Issues
N
ew
Al
te
rn
at
iv
e
Fu
el
Ve
hi
cl
e
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Figure 9: Top 3 Deterrents to Using Alternative Fuels (Trucking)
The top deterrents for trucking companies related to cost and infrastructure. Trucking
companies ranked the majority of the deterrents provided in the deterrents list as high
priority items to be addressed, including factors relating to cost, infrastructure,
maintenance issues and vehicle performance.
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4.7.3 Municipal
Municipal fleets assigned the same level of importance to the following top three
deterrents that would deter them from using alternative fuels in their fleet: lack of
refueling stations, new alternative fuel vehicle costly and vehicle conversions costly.
Deterrents to Using Alternative Fuels- Municipal
10.00
Lack of Refueling Stations
9.00
New Alternative Fuel Vehicle Acquisition Costly
8.00
Level of Importance
(Means)
Vehicle Conversions Costly
7.00
Low Alternative Fuel Vehicle Availability
6.00
Maintenance Issues
5.00
Low Fuel Consumption
4.00
Vehicle Breakdowns
3.00
Safety Issues
Fuel More Costly
2.00
Cold Start Issues
1.00
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Deterrents
Figure 10: Top 3 Deterrents to Using Alternative Fuels (Municipal)
The top municipal deterrents related to infrastructure and cost. Municipal fleet operators
ranked the majority of the deterrents provided in the deterrents list as high priority items
to be addressed, including factors relating to infrastructure, maintenance issues and cost.
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4.7.4 Provincial
In order of importance, for provincial fleet operators the following factors were the top
three factors that would deter them from using alternative fuels in their fleet: lack of
refueling stations, low alternative fuel vehicle availability, fuel more costly and
acquisition of alternative fuel vehicle costly.
Deterrents to Using Alternative Fuels: Provincial
10.00
Lack of Refueling Stations
9.00
Low Alterantive Fuel Vehicle Availability
Level of Importance
(Means)
8.00
Fuel More Costly
7.00
New Alternative Fuel Vehicle Acquisition Costly
6.00
Maintenance Issues
Cold Start Issues
5.00
Safety Issues
4.00
Low Fuel Consumption
3.00
Vehicle Conversions Costly
Vehicle Breakdowns
2.00
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Deterrents
Figure 11: Top 3 Deterrents to Using Alternative Fuels (Provincial)
The top deterrents for provincial fleets related primarily to infrastructure and costs. The
provincial fleet operators did not give high priority to any other deterrents.
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There is a difference between what the various organizations believed were the most
significant deterrents. Regardless of these differences, with the exception of the
provincial fleet operators, all of the fleet operators ranked more than 7 and up to 9 out of
the 10 deterrents as having a high level of importance. This suggests that most of the
deterrents in the deterrents list will need to be addressed before these fleet operators use
alternative fuels.
4.7.5
Other Deterrents
The fleet operators surveyed also identified other deterrents to using alternative fuels in
fleets that were not included in the distributed survey. A listing of these other deterrents
were as follows:
Cost
•
Ongoing costs to operate the vehicles and maintain the infrastructure.
•
High overhead cost for constructing a privately owned fueling site for fuels that
are available.
Infrastructure
•
Safety, health, building, fire and electrical code implications on facilities to
legally and safely store, dispense and maintain alternative fuel infrastructure.
64
•
Alternative fuel industry is not mature enough (i.e. there are not adequate service
outlets, fuel outlets, unreliable equipment and there are high costs for repair and
maintenance).
•
Low availability of fuel and trained personnel who can work on alternative fuel
engines across North America.
Vehicle and Fuel Characteristics
•
Lack of information on fuel supply, vehicle reliability and performance issues.
•
Obsolescence and changing technologies is a major concern when selecting
alternative fuel vehicles.
•
Many Alternative fuel vehicle technologies introduce issues such as greater
weight of the vehicle or lower passenger carrying capabilities.
•
Alternative fuels tend to be promoted by one manufacturer or fuel supplier and as
such there is a very high inherent risk for a company banking on the existence of a
single or limited range of suppliers for things as fundamental as vehicles, repair
parts and fuel.
•
Down time switching over to alternative fuels.
•
No reliable fuel source.
Environmental
•
Whether the alternative fuel actually delivers the theoretical benefits in terms of
emission reductions.
65
•
Alternative fuel vehicles may have a more detrimental impact on the environment
than a single diesel vehicle.
•
Unsure if the fuel will meet near future emission control standards.
Other
•
There are no articles in trade magazines that would suggest this decision will be
of financial benefit to companies.
•
Lack of time to investigate alternatives.
•
Lack of support from original equipment manufacture for warranty recovery with
alternative fuels.
4.8
Summary of Survey Results and General Discussion
Industry and government fleet operators in Winnipeg, Manitoba were surveyed to gain an
understanding of their experience and opinions on the use of alternative fuels in vehicle
fleets. The survey captured the opinions of fleet operators in Winnipeg, providing an
idea of the current use of alternative fuels in the region and provided insights into what
types of challenges and opportunities would relate to the development of the alternative
fuel industry in Winnipeg from a fleet operator’s perspective. Fleet operator opinions are
an important perspective to identify because fleet operators are one of the end users of
alternative fuels and they have a collective power as decision makers that could influence
trends that could then be implemented in the domestic vehicle sector.
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The key findings from the survey were that alternative fuels are not a primary fuel source
for vehicle fleets in Winnipeg. Alternative fuels are used in government fleets more
often than industry fleets, but even government fleet the use of alternative fuels is
minimal compared to the use of conventional fuels. Survey results indicated that access
to information on alternative fuels plays a role in encouraging fleet operators to use
alternative fuels. For instance, government fleets, with more access to information on
alternative fuels than industry, cited a larger use of alternative fuels in their fleets than
industry. The most commonly used alternative fuels and vehicle technologies are
ethanol, propane and electric gas hybrids.
There is a significant difference between the operational needs of one fleet to another.
This trend is most dramatically seen with the differences that exist between industry and
government. Industry fleet operators agreed that cost is a driving factor in terms of what
motivates them to use alternative fuels, while government fleet operators are not as
concerned with cost factors, but use alternative fuels because of social, political and
environmental reasons. One of the consistent motivators to using alternative fuels is that
they are stated to offer environmental benefits over conventional fuels. However, while
the environment is a motivator to fleet operators, the environmental claims for the fuels
need to be justified in order for fleet operators to use the fuel.
Fleet operators within industry and within government have much more varied opinions
when it comes to factors that deter them from using alternative fuels. This finding clearly
demonstrates that fleet’s operational needs dictates what types of factors would act as
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impediments to using alternative fuels. Factors that were high priority for trucking firms
to have addressed were not necessarily high priority for messenger and courier
companies.
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CHAPTER 5
5.0
CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSIONS
5.1
Introduction
This study investigated vehicle fleet operator perspectives regarding the expansion of the
use of alternative fuels in vehicle fleets. Vehicle fleets were the primary focus of the
study because they are often the first user group targeted to switch to using alternative
fuels. The study began with a review of publications and other media that helped to
identify the various factors that could influence fleet operators’ decisions to use
alternative transportation fuels. The study focused on fuels that were readily available
and technically feasible for the region, which included ethanol, biodiesel, electricity (gas
electric hybrids), natural gas and propane.
The specific objectives of the research were to identify the local government alternative
fuel policies in place in Manitoba, assess the current usage of alternative fuels in vehicle
fleets in the region, identify factors that could influence fleet operator’s decisions to use
alternative fuels and establish the importance that fleet operators place on those factors.
The research identified the key issues that need to be addressed when promoting the use
of alternative fuels to vehicle fleets. The main conclusions from the research findings
can help to clarify issues for decision makers who are investigating the potential to
implement the use of alternative fuels in vehicle fleets.
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5.2
Alternative Fuel Policies
There are no local government alternative fuel policies in place in Manitoba that focus
directly on increasing the use of alternative fuels in vehicle fleets. The provincial
government has three policies that focus on strategies to develop the alternative fuel
industry, which includes an ethanol policy that has been fully deployed, a biodiesel
strategy that is under investigation and a hydrogen action plan. Kyoto and Beyond is
another provincial strategy that promotes the use of alternative fuels as a means to reduce
greenhouse gases. The municipal government does not have any policies relating directly
to alternative fuels, but does have two policies, 2020 Vision and the Environmental
Strategy (not yet adopted) that indicate that the use of alternative fuels could help to
reduce air pollution.
Provincial policies focus on promoting low level blends such as E10 and technologies
such as hybrid electric vehicles that do not require changes to fueling infrastructure.
Once a market for low level blends is established, a transition to higher level blends could
be a potential for Manitoba. In the interim, it might be beneficial for provincial and
municipal governments to conduct studies on high level blends so that information on the
high level blends can be used to develop future policies.
The provincial ethanol strategy, the province’s most developed alternative fuel policy
document, identifies economic development as a key motivator for promoting the ethanol
industry. The government believes that the ethanol industry will be self-sufficient in the
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future. Promoting fuels that have the promise to become self sufficient in the future,
thereby eliminating the need for indefinite government subsidies, reduces the risk to
vehicle operators. A self-sufficient, sustainable market system is likely to ensure
adequate refueling stations, vehicle availability and fuel supply. On the other hand,
alternative fuels that do not offer the promise of sustaining themselves put fleet operators
who use them in a high risk position, where they are relying on government subsidies to
make the fuel cost neutral to conventional fuels or to provide rebates for alternative fuel
vehicles. If the government subsidies are removed, fleet operators will no longer be able
to afford the fuel or vehicles. This could also lead to the collapse of the infrastructure
that was built up while the fuel subsidies were in place.
The federal government currently has an Alternative Fuel Act that serves to increase the
use of alternative fuels in federal fleets. Currently, local governments in Manitoba do not
have a comparable alternative fuel act. Ultimately, the Alternative Fuels Act serves to
increase the use of alternative fuels in government fleets, increase the local alternative
fuel infrastructure, increase in local production of alternative fuels to meet government
fuel needs, develop expertise with alternative fuels and create a formal reporting
framework on alternative fuel use in government vehicle fleets.
5.3 Alternative Fuel Usage in Vehicle Fleets
The survey results showed that the majority of fleets surveyed in Winnipeg do not use
alternative fuels. It is mostly government fleets that are using alternative fuels rather than
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industry fleets, and, even in government fleets. One of the reasons for the higher use of
alternative fuels in government fleets is that governments generally do not tend to have
the same pressures as industries to make a profit and have more access to government
funding programs for alternative fuel initiatives and governments also have the role of
leaders in these types of environmental commitments. However, even in government
fleets, the use of alternative fuels does not represent a large portion of fuel used in
comparison to the use of conventional fuel. The proportion of alternative fuels used in
comparison to total fuel used in the surveyed fleets was less than 3%.
It is difficult to qualify the actual use of alternative fuels in Manitoba compared to the use
of conventional fuels, since there is not a consolidated data set that tracks the use of
alternative fuels in the region. There are however, some estimates, from various sources
that provide some insight into the amount of alternative fuel used in the region. In
Manitoba, ethanol blended gasoline makes up less than five per-cent of the gasoline fuel
market (Province of Manitoba- Manitoba Energy Development Initiative, 2002b).
Statistics from 1999 data suggest that propane use is 1.02% of the net sales of gasoline
and 3.4% of the net sales of diesel fuel in Manitoba and that propane net sales in
Manitoba are 3% of the Canadian propane sales for 1999 (Statistics Canada, 2001). The
inventory of alternative fuel vehicle maintained by the Red River Valley Clean Cities
Coalition Winnipeg Chapter Inc. reports that in Manitoba there are currently 197
alternative fuel vehicles in Manitoba, of which 62 are operating on alternative fuels since
some of the alternative fuel vehicles currently owned in the region can operate on
conventional and alternative fuels sources, but do not currently have access to the
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alternative fuel the vehicle can use. Based on 1999 data that lists 624,353 registered on
road vehicles in Manitoba , the use of alternative fuel vehicles to the regional vehicle
population suggests a usage of .01% (Statistics Canada, 1999). While none of these data
sets captures the total usage of alternative fuels in Manitoba, it is evident from these
estimates that the usage is minimal compared to the usage of conventional fuels.
The minimal use of alternative fuels in Winnipeg is not surprising since there is a lack of
alternative fuel fueling stations in Winnipeg which prevents fleets from using alternative
fuels. As described in Chapter 2, Winnipeg does not have any natural gas retail stations,
has limited propane stations, has 23 retail E10 stations and has no retail biodiesel stations.
In terms of vehicle technologies like the gas electric hybrid, the selection of vehicle
models for these vehicles is also limited.
The lack of alternative fuel availability is a similar scenario for the rest of Canada. E10 is
currently offered at 1,000 retail stations in Canada (Natural Resources Canada, 2002a),
E85 at no retail stations in Canada, Biodiesel at 1 retail station in Canada Topia Energy,
04), propane is offered at 3,000 stations in Canada (Natural Resources Canada, 2002c)
and natural gas at 120 retail outlets in Canada (Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance, 2003). The
availability of gas electric hybrid vehicles in Canada is also limited, especially in
comparison to its availability in the United States (McDonald, 2004). E85 stations that
exist in Canada are operated primarily by the federal government, and as such its use is
only by government officials (Kraynyk, 2004). It is also government fleets that are
involved in biodiesel demonstrations throughout Canada, and the fuel source is made
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available to them at private stations that they operate (City of Saskatoon, 2004; Societe
de Transport de Montreal, 2004; Toronto Hydro, 2004).
Findings indicated that E10 is the most commonly used alternative fuel amongst surveyed
fleets. Other fuels and technologies used, are propane and hybrid gas electric vehicles.
The higher usage of E10 is likely due to a number of factors including its availability at
retail stations, the ability for gasoline vehicles to operate on E10 with no modification
and the fuel performance being well documented in Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere. The
use of E10 will increase dramatically when the provincial fuel mandate comes into effect
in 2005. The fact that propane was also citied as one of the alternative fuels being used is
not surprising since propane used to be the number one alternative fuel in Canada
(Natural Resources Canada, 2002c), and as such some fleets may still have some vehicles
operating on this fuel source.
The increasing use of electric gas hybrids is likely due to three factors; the use of these
vehicles does not require any changes to the infrastructure and can be used within current
fuel network, vehicle manufacturers are increasing the number and selection of vehicle
makes and models of electric gas hybrids on the market, and hybrid vehicle
manufacturers claim that the vehicles improve fuel economy and could present fleet
operators with the ability to reduce operational costs. Fleet operators in Winnipeg using
gas electric hybrids stated that they were still in the evaluation period, which indicates
that vehicle performance is still being monitored.
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The use of gas electric hybrids could increase in Winnipeg since there are no
infrastructure obstacles to using this technology and since vehicle manufacturers are
continually increasing their selection of gas electric vehicles. For example, Ford is
discontinuing their lines of natural gas and propane vehicles in favour of gas electric
hybrids and hydrogen vehicles. Toyota has also stated that they will be offering all of
their lines of vehicle makes and models in the gas electric hybrid within the next 10-15
years (McDonald, 2004). As fleet operators are offered larger vehicle selection for the
hybrid vehicles, their use in fleets in Winnipeg may increase over other alternatives, such
as natural gas and propane, that do not have the same level of vehicle availability.
Another important point to draw from the results of the survey is that there is a difference
between the needs of one fleet and the next. Even within government, there was a large
difference between fleet operators citing the use of alternative fuels in their fleet. For
example, provincial fleet operators cited using alternative fuels more than twice as much
as municipal fleet operators. One reason for this is because of the ways these fleets
refuel. Provincial vehicles refuel at retail stations throughout the province, where there
are 23 E10 stations. The municipal vehicles refuel exclusively at centralized refueling
stations operated by the City of Winnipeg, none of which have E10 fuel. E10 fuel is not
offered at municipal stations because the current fuel contractor for the City does not
offer an E10 fuel source (Lupien, 2004). This example illustrates that even within
different levels of government there are different circumstances that affect a fleet
operator’s ability to use alternative fuels. Survey results showed a similar case where
messengers and couriers identified different types of top deterrents to using alternative
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fuels versus what trucking industry identified as top deterrents. Both are industry vehicle
fleets, but because of operational differences, they are facing different deterrents to using
alternative fuels.
Another factor that appears to influence the use of alternative fuels in Winnipeg is fleet
operator access to information on alternative fuel options. The survey results illustrated
that government fleet operators have more access to information on alternative fuels and
use alternative fuels more than their industry counterparts, who have limited access to
information on the fuels. This indicates that fleet operators with more information on
alternative fuels may be more likely to use the fuels in their fleets. This trend is evident
for all fleets surveyed. For example, there is a higher usage of alternative fuel in
provincial fleets than in municipal fleets, with provincial fleets stating that they have
more access to information on alternative fuels than municipal fleet operators. Similarly,
government fleets with more access to information on alternative fuels use alternative
fuels more than industry fleets with limited access to information on alternative fuels.
Government fleet operators are likely to have more information on alternative fuels and
clean vehicle technologies than industry because they are directly involved in air
pollution related policies. The government’s involvement with policy development
provides them with a larger network of contacts to provide them with information on
alternative fuels. As such, government fleets are more likely to be familiar with current
developments in the alternative fuel industry. Additionally, most of the alternative fuel
demonstrations throughout Canada involve government. For example, the Montreal
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Biobus demonstration in Quebec involved Montreal transit, the biobus demonstration in
Saskatchewan involves Saskatchewan transit, E85 fueling station pilot projects in
Manitoba and throughout Canada are being spearheaded by federal government
departments. Therefore, information sharing between municipalities and provincial
governments throughout Canada may be greater than information sharing among industry
who are not as involved in the alternative fuel pilot projects and demonstrations.
Another reason why industry may not be using alternative fuels as much as government is
because in Manitoba there is no cost incentive or competitive advantage for industry
fleet operators to be using alternative fuel sources, which, according to the survey, could
decrease industry fleet operator interest in investigating alternative fuels. In Manitoba
there is a non-profit organization committed to sharing information on alternative fuels
that can serve to bridge the gap between information sharing on alternative fuels between
industry and government fleet operators. The Red River Valley Clean Cities Coalition
Winnipeg Chapter Inc. is a group that promotes alternative transportation fuels in
Manitoba through outreach and education, proposal development to gain funds for
alternative fuel infrastructure, building partnerships and sharing alternative fuel success
stories with key stakeholders in Manitoba. The Clean Cities group is part of a U.S.
Department of Energy Program whose mandate is to promote the alternative
transportation market. There are 80 Clean Cities coalitions throughout North America
and Manitoba is the only Canadian province participating in this large network of
coalitions. The membership for the group is a cross section of government, industry and
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non profit groups. One of the primary purposes of the group is to act as a venue to share
experiences with alternative fuels and partner on alternative fuel projects.
5.4
Factors to Consider When Implementing Alternative Fuels in Vehicle Fleets
Since vehicle fleets are often one of the first user groups targeted for alternative fuel
usage it is important to identify the types of factors that would motivate or deter them
from choosing to use alternative fuels in their fleets. Winnipeg fleet operators gave a
high level of importance to the motivator and deterrent list generated from the fleet
document review that identified factors that were important to fleet operators outside of
Winnipeg. This shows that Winnipeg fleet operator opinions are consistent with the
opinions of fleet operators outside of Winnipeg. Specifically, Winnipeg fleet operators
identified that more than four and up to seven out of the ten motivators on the list of
factors generated from the opinions of fleet operators outside of Winnipeg were high
priority. These motivators can be used to capture near term opportunities that would
encourage the switch to alternative fuels in fleets.
Likewise, fleet operators identified that more than four and up to nine out of the ten
deterrents generated from fleet operator perspectives outside of Winnipeg were high
priority to fleet operators in Winnipeg. Identifying factors that are high priority to fleet
operators when switching to alternative fuels can help to understand what types of issues
will need to be addressed to increase the use of alternative fuels in vehicle fleets on a
whole. The consistency between opinions from fleet operators outside of Winnipeg and
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Winnipeg fleet operators is important to note because information on alternative fuels
from other regions is applicable to Winnipeg and can be used by decision makers
planning to expand the alternative fuel market in Winnipeg.
The environment was ranked as a factor that would be an important motivator to
encourage all fleet operators to use alternative fuels. Government fleets ranked the
environment as one of their top three motivators to using alternative fuels. While
industry did not rank the environment as one of the top three motivators, the environment
was ranked as a high priority motivator that encourages industry to use alternative fuels.
Survey responses further stipulated that in order for the environment to be a motivator,
the environmental benefit of the fuel has to be clearly substantiated.
Alternative fuels are largely promoted based on the fact that they offer environmental
benefits over conventional fuels and as such it is extremely important to ensure that these
claims are validated and communicated to fleet operators. This type of issue became
important when there were contradictions in 2003 between the National Farmers Union
and the Province of Manitoba regarding the environmental benefits of ethanol. Similar
disputes were raised in the late 1980’s when claims were made that natural gas was
cleaner burning in all vehicles, when this was not always the case. Life cycle analysis is
the best way to document environmental benefits of fuels since it compares energy and
resources used in the production and use of alternative fuels in relation to conventional
fuels. The federal government currently has a model, called the GHGenius model that
can determine life cycle analysis for alternative fuels, and by inputting data relevant to
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Manitoba made alternative fuels, can generate a life cycle analysis for fuels made in
Manitoba.
Winnipeg fleet operators also identified a list of ‘other’ factors that would motivate or
deter them from using alternative fuels in their fleets, over and above the list provided to
them for ranking. Specifically, fleet operators identified ten other motivators to using
alternative fuels and seventeen other factors that would deter them from using alternative
fuels. From this study alone, twenty factors were identified that might motivate fleet
operators to use alternative fuels and twenty seven factors were identified that might
deter vehicle fleet operators from using alternative fuels. On the whole it is clear that the
implementation of alternative fuels is a complex issue with many obstacles and
opportunities to building the industry.
The survey results also revealed that there was a marked difference between the opinions
of industry and those of government. Cost issues were the main motivator for industry to
introduce alternative fuels into their fleet. Social, political and environmental concerns
were motivators for government to use alternative fuels in their fleets, with the exception
of municipal fleet operators who felt that fuel consumption is also a top motivator. Both
industry sectors surveyed agreed with each other one hundred percent on the top
motivators to using alternative fuels, which all relate to cost. While government did not
have one hundred percent the same views, their opinions were closely related. For this
reason, different strategies will have to be incorporated to encourage an increase of
alternative fuels in government versus industry. Government has to recognize that at this
80
time their priorities and motivations to use alternative fuels are different than industry
and in order to increase the use of alternative fuels in industry fleets a top down approach
like a fuel mandate or subsidies are the primary options to implement the use of fuels into
industry vehicle fleets.
5.5
Further Research
At the completion of the research process it became apparent that there are a number of
unanswered questions surrounding the use of alternative fuels that could be answered by
conducting further research on this topic. Specific areas of research that would provide
further insight into the implementation of alternative fuels into vehicle fleets and other
vehicle markets are the following:
1.
Characterization of the alternative fuel market in Manitoba
Conducting a detailed inventory on the use of alternative fuels in Manitoba compared to
the use of conventional fuels would provide a more detailed understanding on the
proportion of alternative fuel used relative to conventional fuel. Conducting the
inventory on a per litre equivalency basis, would be beneficial because it could then be
compared to the per litre usage of diesel and gasoline. As part of this research it would
be worthwhile to develop an approach of how to best continue to monitor the use of
alternative fuels on an annual basis, so that current statistics are readily available. These
types of statistics could define the demand for alternative fuels in the region and could
81
track the growth of the market. Once the inventory for Manitoba is completed an
inventory across Canada could be conducted, so that data is available to easily compare
the usage of alternative fuels across the Country.
2.
Federal, Provincial and Municipal Cooperation
It would be informative to develop an understanding on the type of cooperation between
the federal, provincial and municipal levels of governments as it pertains to efforts to
build the alternative fuel market. This thesis did not conduct any research into this topic
area, but it would be beneficial to know if there is a concerted effort from all levels of
government to promote alternative fuels. This type of research could also lead to the
development of a model that provides insight into what type of cooperation would be
needed from all levels of government in Canada to effectively increase the use of
alternative fuels throughout the country. Within this model, consideration could be given
to the type of cooperation that might be needed with the various levels of the Canadian
and U.S. governments as well, since a significant amount of trade from Manitoba is with
U.S. trading partners.
3.
Policies and other factors influencing the use of alternative fuels
This study focused only on local government alternative fuel policies and factors from a
fleet perspective that could influence the use of alternative fuels in vehicle fleets. There
are also many other types of government policies and industry policies that could
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influence the use of alternative fuels in Manitoba that were not researched for this study.
Research focusing on the various types of policies, both at the governmental and industry
level could help to identify the main policy drivers and factors influencing the use of
alternative fuels. For example, federal level programs that offer financial incentives to
provincial government’s to build plants to make alternative fuels may influence the
development of the alternative fuel market in Manitoba. Additionally, internal industry
policies could also influence the use of alternative fuels by other industries. For instance,
IKEA, a well established low priced global furniture, bathroom and kitchen retail outlet,
has many internal policies relating to environmental and social responsibility. A newly
proposed IKEA policy is aimed at only using carriers who meet certain environmental
criteria for shipment of IKEA goods, which could effectively play a role in the use of
alternative fuels or other energy efficiency improvements in transport (Canadian
Trucking Alliance, 2004).
Other county comparisons would also be helpful for this type of research as it would
quantify what types of policies and factors influenced the use of the development of the
alternative fuel market in those regions. For example, Brazil has an extensive ethanol
industry and Germany has an extensive biodiesel industry. It would be informative to
analyze how these two countries came to be leaders in these respective alternative fuels.
83
5.6
Concluding Remarks
Overall, the research illustrated that incorporating the use of alternative fuels into vehicle
fleets is a very complex undertaking. Currently, there is minimal use of alternative fuels
in vehicle fleets in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Vehicle fleets all have different operational
needs, and as such, different strategies should be employed to increase the use of
alternative fuels in vehicle fleets depending on specific operation needs. Increasing
access to information could increase the use alternative fuels in vehicle fleets. Since
environmental concerns could encourage fleet operators to use alternative fuels, it is
important to ensure that environmental benefits of these fuels can be validated, so that
fleet operators are ensured that they are investing in a cleaner technology. Without
addressing vehicle fleet concerns, alternative fuels will not be a sustainable option for the
transportation sector. The opinions of fleet operators can be used when developing
policies on alternative fuels and when promoting an alternative fuel market since vehicle
fleet operator opinions are reflective of the issues that need to be dealt with in order to
effectively create a transition from the use of conventional fuels to alternative fuels.
84
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Introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing. Gabriolo Island B.C
Canada: New Society Publishing.
Mitchell, Alanna, 2004 April 30. Global Warming Linked to High Asthma Rates. The
Globe and Mail.
National Biodiesel Board. Standards and Warranties.
http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/fuelfactsheets/standards_and_warranties.htm
(Accessed: January, 2004).
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Sustainable Transportation in Canada. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian in Publication
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Vehicles. http://www.ngvcanada.org/FAQ.html (Accessed: June, 2003).
Natural Resources Canada. Alternative Transportation Fuels- Ethanol.
http://alt-fuels.nrcan.gc.ca/ethanol_e.htm (Accessed: March, 2002a).
Natural Resources Canada. Alternative Transportation Fuels- Natural Gas.
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Natural Resources Canada. Alternative Transportation Fuels- Propane.
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City of Ottawa.
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N (Accessed: January, 2003).
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Project.
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iew=N&Text=N (Accessed: 2004).
Neitzert, F., Olsen, K., and Collas, P., 1999. Canada's Greenhouse Gas Inventory- 1997
Emissions and Removals with Trends. Canada: Environment Canada.
Nesbitt, Kevin and Sperling, Daniel., 1998. Myths Regarding Alternative Fuel Vehicle
Demand By Light-Duty Vehicle Fleets. Transportation Research Pat DTransport and Environment 3(4), pp.259-269.
North Dakota Soybean Council, 2002. Biodiesel: The Clear Choice. Fargo, North
Dakota.
Ogden, Joan M., 2002. Hydrogen: The Fuel of the Future? Physics Today, 55(4).
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 1995. Motor Vehicle
Pollution- Reduction Strategies beyond 2010. Paris, France: Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development.
Paquette, Christine. Personal Communication (Internet). Canadian Biodiesel Network
News...week ending Jan 23, 2004. January, 2004.
President of the Treasury Board, 2001. Annual Report to Parliament- Report on the
application of Alternative Fuels Act, Fiscal year 2000-2001. Canada: Treasury
Board of Canada.
Province of Manitoba, 2002. Kyoto and Beyond- A Plan of Action to Meet and Exceed
Manitoba's Kyoto Targets, Province of Manitoba Climate Change Action Plan
2002. Winnipeg, Manitoba: Province of Manitoba.
Province of Manitoba- Manitoba Energy Development Initiative, 2002a. A Report by the
Ethanol Advisory Panel to the Government of Manitoba- Ethanol Made in
Manitoba. Winnipeg, Manitoba: Province of Manitoba.
Province of Manitoba- Manitoba Energy Development Initiative, 2002b. Developing
Manitoba's Ethanol Industry- Consulting Manitobans-Maximizing the Benefits.
Winnipeg, Manitoba: Province of Manitoba.
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Province of Manitoba- Manitoba Energy Development Initiative. Manitoba Moves on
Ethanol Industry Development- Province Acts on All Ethanol Advisory Panel
Recommendations. http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/press/top/2003/04/2003-04-1701.html (Accessed: February, 2004).
Red River Valley Clean Cities Coalition, 2002. The Valley Drive- The Quarterly
Newsletter of the Red River Valley Clean Cities Coalition 5 (2). Grand
Forks, North Dakota: Red River Valley Clean Cities Coalition and Energy and
Environmental Research Center, University of North Dakota.
Rifkin, Jeremy, 2002. Sliding Down Hubbert's Bell Curve. In The Hydrogen Economy.
(pp.13-p.36). New York: Penguin Group.
Societe de Transport de Montreal. BioBus.
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Statistics Canada. Road Motor Vehicles Registrations 1998, 1999.Ottawa: Minister of
Industry.
Statistics Canada. Road Motor Vehicles Fuel Sales 1999, 2001. Ottawa: Minister of
Industry.
Statistics Canada. Couriers' and local messengers' revenues and expenses, the provinces.
http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/trade31b.htm (Accessed: October, 2004a).
Statistics Canada. Survey of the Couriers and Local Messengers Industry.
http://www.statcan.ca/english/sdds/4703.htm (Accessed: October, 2004 b).
The Canadian Press, 2003 February 23. Ethanol Made in Manitoba Cuts Global Warming
Gases by Half, Says Study. The Canadian Press.
The City of Winnipeg. Plan Winnipeg- 2020 Vision.
http://www.city.winnipeg.mb.ca/interhom/aboutwinnipeg/workinginwinnipeg/eco
nodemo.stm (Accessed: February, 2004).
Topia Energy. News Release: Canada's First Retail BioDiesel Pump Opens in Greater
Toronto Area, 3-2-2004.
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AS_FIRST_BIODIESEL_PUMP.pdf (Accessed: March, 2004).
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el (Accessed: May, 2004).
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Winnipeg, Manitoba: Transport Institute-University of Manitoba.
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January, 2002b).
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90
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Dealership.
Zdan, Terry, August 23, 2004. Personal Communication. Province of Manitoba,
Manitoba Transportation and Government Services Department.
91
Appendix A
Background on Alternative Fuels
Ethanol
Ethanol is a renewable fuel source made from any feedstock that contains significant
amounts of sugar, starch or cellulose that can be converted into sugar (U.S. Department
of Energy, 2002b). Examples of resources that can make ethanol are corn, wheat, wood,
straw and other grasses, sugar beets and sugar cane (Natural Resources Canada, 2002a).
Ethanol is an alcohol based fuel which is typically blended with gasoline in
concentrations of 10 percent ethanol to 90% gasoline, this blend is known as E10.
Ethanol can also be blended with gasoline in higher concentrations, such as 85% ethanol
to 15% gasoline, this blend is known as E85 (U.S. Department of Energy, 2002b).
Typically, in Canada, vehicles are fueled by E10 since E10 blends can be used in any
vehicle with no modification and E10 has the same type of storage equipment as regular
gasoline (Natural Resources Canada, 2002a). E10 is currently offered at approximately
1,000 outlets across Canada (Natural Resources Canada, 2002a) and at 23 stations in
Manitoba offer E10 (Fleet Vehicles Agency-Province of Manitoba, 2004). Higher blends
of ethanol such as E85 require a special vehicle called an E85 flexi-fuel vehicle, which is
offered on a limited basis in Canada (U.S. Department of Energy, 2002b). E85 is not
currently offered at any retail stations in Manitoba. E85 generally has the same type of
storage requirements as gasoline but has some special storage requirements that differ
from gasoline storage (Legault, 2003).
92
Biodiesel
Biodiesel is a renewable fuel source that is made from resources such as canola, soy,
sunflower, mustard seed, recycled restaurant oil, and rendered animal fat (U.S.
Department of Energy, 2003). Biodiesel is blended with diesel fuel typically at
concentrations below B20 (20% biodiesel to 80% diesel fuel). Biodiesel can be blended
at higher concentrations, up to a B100 blend (100% biodiesel). B20 can be used in most
diesel vehicles and equipment with little or no engine modification (U.S. Department of
Energy, 2003). Most engine manufacturers have stated that the use of biodiesel up to the
B5 level will not void warranty (National Biodiesel Board, 2004). For use with levels
higher than B5, individual engine manufacturers should be consulted. Most new vehicles
can operate on B100, but biodiesel has cold flow problems at high level blends.
Biodiesel is currently offered at 1 retail fueling station in Canada (Topia Energy, 2004).
For biodiesel that is blended at less B20 the storage and distribution equipment currently
used for diesel is compatible. Higher level blends of biodiesel may require different
management for transportation and storage.
Electric Gas Hybrids
Hybrid electric gas vehicles have a conventional fuel engine and an electric motor.
Hybrid vehicles do not need to be plugged in and are fueled with conventional fuel.
Hybrid gas electric vehicles are new to the Canadian market and availability is still
limited (McDonald, 2004). Hybrid electric diesel buses are also available. Hybrid gas
electric vehicles are more energy efficient than conventional vehicle technologies.
93
Electric gas hybrids do not require any infrastructure changes to the current fueling
systems since they use conventional fuel sources.
Natural Gas
Natural gas is a non-renewable resource and is extracted from beneath the earth’s surface.
Light duty vehicles and heavy duty vehicles can both operate on natural gas (Natural
Resources Canada, 2002b). A gasoline vehicle can be converted to operate on natural
gas. Specially designated natural gas vehicles can also be purchased from an original
equipment manufacture (Natural Resources Canada, 2002b); however, many
manufacturers are discontinuing their natural gas vehicle lines (AltFuels Advisor, 2004).
In Canada there are approximately 127 natural gas stations (Natural Gas Vehicle
Alliance, 2003). Manitoba does not have any retail natural gas stations. Natural gas has
different storage requirements than conventional fuels.
Propane
Propane is a non-renewable resource and is derived from natural gas or separated from
crude oil during the refining process. Until recently propane was Canada’s number one
alternative fuel (Natural Resources Canada, 2002c). Most of Canada’s propane is a byproduct of natural gas production. Gasoline vehicles can be converted to run on propane
(Natural Resources Canada, 2002c). Some manufacturers offer vehicles that run on
propane, but recently some manufacturers are discontinuing their propane lines (AltFuels
Advisor, 2004). In Canada there are approximately 3,000 propane retail stations (Natural
94
Resources Canada, 2002c). Propane has different storage requirements than conventional
fuels.
95
Appendix B- Questionnaire
Instructions for questionnaire
The survey is to be filled out by the fleet manager or a representative that makes
decisions and/or provides recommendations about the type of fuel or vehicles that
are purchased for the fleet.
For the entire survey, please put an X in the box(es) that capture your answers most
accurately or provide a brief answer in the ‘other’ category (unless otherwise stated).
For the purpose of this questionnaire “alternative fuels” means all non-conventional fuels
that are readily available and technically feasible in the Red River Valley Region. These
fuels include natural gas, propane, ethanol, biodiesel and electricity.
Questionnaire for Fleet Managers
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
1. What type of organization do you work for?
Additional Comments
Government
Private Corporation
Public Corporation
School
Small Business
Other (please specify)
96
2. How many vehicles are in your fleet?
Additional Comments
Number of Vehicles
3. Do your vehicles follow predictable routine routes?
Yes
No
Both
_______% yes
________ % no
4. Do your vehicles refuel at a centralized fueling location? (i.e. do vehicles refuel
onsite or at a specific location, typically not a station opened to the general
public)
Yes
No
Both
_______% yes
________ % no
5. What is your approximate fuel consumption per year?
Gas (per vehicle)
Diesel (per vehicle)
Gas (per total fleet)
Diesel (per total fleet)
litres
litres
litres
litres
gallons
gallons
gallons
gallons
km
km
km
miles
miles
miles
miles
6. What is your approximate mileage per year?
Gas (per vehicle)
Diesel (per vehicle)
Gas (per total fleet)
Diesel (per total fleet)
km
7. What are your approximate fuel costs per year?
Gas (per vehicle)
Diesel (per vehicle)
Gas (per total fleet)
Diesel (per total fleet)
$
$
$
$
CDN
CDN
CDN
CDN
97
/
/
/
/
US
US
US
US
8. What type of daily operation(s) is your fleet involved with? If more than one
operation, please indicate percentage.
Administrative
Construction
Delivery Service
Maintenance
Passenger Travel
Trucking / Freight
Other (please specify)
%
%
%
%
%
%
9. Please indicate from the list below, which alternative fuel(s) you are most
familiar with and why.
Why
Biodiesel
Compressed Natural Gas
Electricity
Ethanol
Propane
None of the Above
DECISION MAKING
10. Have you ever considered using alternative fuels for your fleet?
Yes
No
98
11. Do you have current information of the various alternative fuels to
determine which fuel is most suited for your fleet?
Yes
No
99
12. Rank the table below as it relates to your decision to move towards using
alternative fuels (1 is highest motivator and 10 is lowest motivator).
Acquisition of alternative fuel vehicle not required
Corporate image
Economic incentives (i.e. rebates, tax considerations, etc.)
Environmental concerns
Fuel consumption (equivalent to gas / diesel)
Fuel price (equivalent to gas / diesel)
Government regulations / policy
Health concerns (air quality)
Kyoto Protocol
Vehicle conversion not required
Other
(please specify)
100
13. Rank the table below as it relates to your decision to move towards using
alternative fuels. (1 is highest deterrent and 10 is lowest deterrent)
Cold start issues
Fuel more costly
Lack of refueling stations
Low alternative fuel vehicle availability
Low fuel consumption
Maintenance issues
New alternative vehicle acquisition costly
Safety issues
Vehicle breakdowns
Vehicle conversions costly
Other
(please specify)
101
EXPERIENCE WITH ALTERNATIVE FUELS
If you do not use alternative fuels in your fleet please answer questions 14-16. Once you
have answered question 16 the survey will be complete
If you use alternative fuels in your fleet please answer questions 17-24. Once you have
answered question 24 the survey will be complete.
14. Please specify any other reason(s) why you have not considered
alternative fuels for your fleet.
1
2
3
4
5
15. Please specify any other factor(s) that might encourage you to
switch to alternative fuels in the future.
1
2
3
4
5
102
16. Please provide any other comment(s) or recommendation(s) about the
survey.
1
2
3
4
5
103
17. What type of alternative fuel/vehicle usage does your fleet consume annually?
Number of Vehicles
Total Consumption
Litres
Gallon
Biodiesel
Compressed Natural Gas
Compressed Natural Gas Bi-Fuel
(uses gas or compressed natural gas)
Electric (fully electric)
Electric Hybrids
(uses gas and electric)
Ethanol- 10%
(uses 10% ethanol with 90% gasoline)
Ethanol-E85 Flexible Fuel
(uses 85% ethanol with15% gas or 100% gas)
Propane
Propane Bi-Fuel
(uses gas or propane)
Other (please specify)
* Note: If total consumption does not equal question 5, please explain.
104
Other
(please specify)
Propane
Bi-Fuel
Propane
Ethanol-E85
Flexible Fuel
Ethanol at 10%
Electric Gas
Hybrid
Electric
Compressed
Natural Gas
Bi-Fuel
Compressed
Natural Gas
Did your fleet experience any of the following benefits while using your
alternative fuel(s) of choice?
Biodiesel
18.
Enhanced
Corporate Image
Fuel Cost
Savings
Health Benefits
(Air Quality)
Improved
Vehicle
Performance
Increased
Environmental
Performance
Vehicle
Maintenance
Cost Savings
Other
(please specify)
105
Other
(specify)
Propane
Bi-Fuel
Propane
Ethanol-E85
Flexible Fuel
Ethanol at 10%
Electric Gas
Hybrid
Electric
Compressed
Natural Gas
Bi-Fuel
Compressed
Natural Gas
Did your fleet experience any of the following problems while using your
alternative fuel(s) of choice?
Biodiesel
19.
Cold start issues
Fuel more costly
Lack of refueling
stations
Low alternative fuel
vehicle availability
Low fuel
consumption
Maintenance issues
New alternative
vehicle acquisition
too costly
Safety issues
Vehicle breakdowns
Vehicle conversions
too costly
Other
(please specify)
106
Other
(specify)
Propane
Bi-Fuel
Propane
Ethanol-E85
Flexible Fuel
Ethanol at 10%
Electric Gas
Hybrid
Electric
Compressed
Natural Gas
Bi-Fuel
Compressed
Natural Gas
Biodiesel
20. Was your decision to use your alternative fuel(s) of choice over other alternative
fuel options, influenced by any of the following factors?
Availability of fuel
Availability of
reliable
information on the
fuel
Availability of
vehicles
Fuel consumption
Heard it was
successful in other
fleets
New alternative
fuel vehicle(s) not
required
Price of fuel
same/cheaper than
gas or diesel
Vehicle(s)
conversion not
required
Other
(please specify)
107
21.
Please specify any other reason(s) why you are using alternative fuels in your
fleet.
22.
Please specify any other factor(s) that might encourage you to
switch to using other types of alternative fuels in the future.
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
108
23. Please specify any reason(s) why you may stop using alternative fuels?
1
2
3
4
5
24. Please provide any other comment(s) or recommendation(s) about the survey.
1
2
3
4
5
109
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Industry Guide to Alternative Fuels, Vehicles, Infrastructure, Business, Technology and
Policy Vol 13(Issue No.3). 3-1-2004.
Ref Type: Journal
BP. BP Statistical Review of World Energy June 2003- A Consistent and Objective
Series of Historical Energy Market Data. 2003.
Ref Type: Report
Canadian Trucking Alliance. IKEA Plan to Further "Green" Trucking Industry Could
Revolutionize Who Hauls for Big Shippers. 200.
Ref Type: Electronic
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Chartrand, Andy. Province of Manitoba Fleet Vehicles Agency. 2004.
Ref Type: Personal Communication
City of Saskatoon. Saskatoon's Ground-breaking Biodiesel Experiment: The BioBus.
2004. 2004.
Ref Type: Electronic Citation.http://www.city.saskatoon.sk.ca/org/transit/biobus.asp.
City of Winnipeg. Economic and Demographic Information. 2004.
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onodemo.stm.
Department of Justice Canada. Alternative Fuels Act- 1995 c.20. 2004.
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Ref Type: Internet Communication
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Publication Data.
Ref Type: Report
110
Environment Canada. Exhaustion- A Guide to Transportation Emissions. 1998. Canada,
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Ref Type: Book, Whole
Falding, Helen. Ethanol Study Supports Province: Fuel from Wheat More Cost-Effective
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Ref Type: Newspaper
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Ref Type: Journal
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